Study for the Ides of March

Sir Edward John Poynter P.R.A., R.W.S. 1836 - 1919

Summary

Study for the painting 'The Idea of March'. It is an illustration of Act II, scene 2 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Calphurnia, Caesar's wife, is seen imploring him not to go to the senate-house, where he will be murdered. It is a view from inside an elaborate Roman home, with a highly polished floor and marble columns. Two figures stand in the centre of the picture, their backs to the viewer. On the right is Caesar who is looking across to his wife, Calpurnia. She looks up at her husband, her face lit in contrast to Caesar's which is in shadow. She gestures with her right hand towards a comet which has crossed the sky and is moving out of view. Just to the left of the comet's trail is the silhouette of a statue of a soldier, armed with a shield and spear, atop a pediment. The comet's trail passes through a section of clear sky which contrasts with the surrounding heavy clouds. On the left, within Caesar's home, a bust of the leader is lit from beneath by a lamp, throwing an eerie shadow onto the wall behind. A standard leans against the wall next to the bust. A trophy of Celtic arms and shields hangs between the two columns, symbols of Caesar's victories.