安提帕特在尤利乌斯·凯撒面前
1435
In this striking 1435 panel by Konrad Witz, a kneeling man dramatically flings open his red robe to reveal a chest covered in scars, pleading his case to a seated ruler. The Gothic script in the gold background identifies the scene as 'Antipater before Julius Caesar,' depicting the historical moment Antipater of Idumea shows his battle wounds to prove his loyalty to the Roman dictator. However, Witz plays fast and loose with history, dressing Caesar in the lavish blue robes and tall, jeweled white hat of a medieval bishop or pope—a charming anachronism typical of the era. The heavy, realistic folds of the fabric and the expressive faces hint at the Early Netherlandish focus on detail that was just beginning to transform European art.