Accession Number
1973/1.800

Title
Rape of the Sabine Women

Artist(s)
John Clem Clarke

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
circa 1970-1973

Medium & Support
lithograph on paper

Dimensions
25 3/4 in x 22 3/8 in (65.41 cm x 56.83 cm);36 1/8 in x 29 in (91.76 cm x 73.66 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
Rape of the Sabine Women echoes the composition of Giambologna's sculpture titled Rape of the Sabines. Clarke, who made a career of recasting classical images by earlier artists in contemporary garb and style, also did a reproduction of Poussin's Rape of the Sabine Women. This story from the legendary history of Rome, tells of the first generation of Roman men who, threatened by a severe gender ratio imbalance, acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families recounted in Livy and Plutarch. 

Physical Description
This print shows three figures in a field set against a dark and smoky background. Two men are struggling for control of a struggling naked woman draped over the shoulder of one of the men. 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
abduction
grass
history (discipline)
males
modern and contemporary art
nudes
reproductions