Explore the Description of this artwork, Las Damas Romanas.
The concept for the 100 cm x 170 cm size painting was based by Luna on ancient Roman history.  It depicted a domestic scene in ancient Roman life, portraying two women lying on the steps of a house.  The hand of one woman was holding the reins of two pet dogs or hunting dogs, in order to prevent them from scaring away some doves.  The doves symbolized divinity  The background of the painting presented a shelf of artifacts.  To the left of the shelf was a shrine with a pediment shaped like a triangle.  In front of the pediment was a burner with a smoking incense.There are three major elements of Las Damas Romanas, namely the women, the dogs, and the doves.  Roman life involved having dogs because they were employed by the ancient Romans for hunting activities, guardians of the home and their property, and as pets.  In Luna's painting, the leashed pet dogs were acting as companions of women.  Doves, on the other hand, were animals that connote eroticism.  In relation to one of the women, there was a suggestion that the woman on the right with dark hair could be Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera.  The notion was discarded because Luna was unmarried when he painted Las Damas Romanas.Luna finished Las Damas Romanas after winning a silver medal for The Death of Cleopatra painting in 1881 and before obtaining a gold medal for the masterpiece Spoliarium in 1884 (both were presented during the Madrid Exposition during the years mentioned).  In 1886, Luna was awarded a Diploma of Honor at the Munich Art Exposition (also known as the Munich Salon) for painting Las Damas Romanas.  The masterpiece was a classic work painted in the highest conventions of the academic style, and it was a representative of the "abundant richness of life, with humankind", represented by women in the painting, being "in harmony with Nature".
Roman history The Death of Cleopatra pediment dove rein woman women burner Roman history shrine Paz Pardo de Tavera ancient Roman eroticism incense Spoliarium Madrid