Death Of Cato Analysis

Mathieu-Ignace Van Bree finished The Death of Cato in 1797. Bree’s oil painting measures 90 centimeters by 130 centimeters making it impossible to miss but by no means overwhelming. The painting tells the narrative of Cato wounding himself with his own sword and refusing help from his friends. Cato is positioned in the lower right of the painting surrounded by six figures in the foreground. Behind those characters there are two men in mourning in the mid-ground and at least three more figures in the far background rushing to the scene. The setting has a strange theatrical structure as if pulled from a scene in a play. It is a vastly empty space filled mainly with bodies; the only furniture in the room is a bed surrounded by a curtain and a
Notably, no person within the painting makes eye contact with the viewer. This creates a composition that mimics that of a play. This further adds to the sense of a single, dynamic moment in time. As I dive into analyzing the facial expressions within this piece Cato once again appears most prominent. His strong gaze solidifies the intentionality of his action and increases the sense that he is retaining his composure. The man behind him and to our right’s face exhibits a look of shock and fear. He looks as though he just witnessed the events leading up to this and still has not had the time to properly register what he has seen. It is hard to be certain but it seems the man reaching to help Cato’s eyes are actually locked unto Cato’s wound. This continues to reiterate that this is the exact moment after Cato struck himself because the man has not even had the chance to look up from Cato’s injury as he rushes to help. Personally, I find the most dramatic face to belong to the soldier directly in the center of the piece. As a soldier he would be expected to be the most hardened and unemotional man in the room, yet his appearance is one of great distress. He appears comparable to man forced to watch his brother die. He is not alone though, because the two men behind him both have their faces cast down, grieving. The expressive characters within Bree’s painting create a sense of
In front of Cato lies a blade, presumably his own. Beside the man assisting Cato there appears to be a hand servant carrying bowls and towels. It is possible he has brought these to help care for Cato, but judging by his appalled body language that doesn’t seem likely. It seems reasonable that this man was coming to tend to Cato when he found him in this state and called out to the others. The urgency of the situation is further heightened by the men running through the doorway in the far background. Bree marvelously sets a scene and tells a story with his painting. He places us as the voyeur, watching the events without being a part of them. We are given a momentary glimpse into a highly dynamic and energized incident. Bree accomplished this by recreating the moment exactly after Cato was either wounded or discovered. The intensity and tension of the composition was further amplified by Bree’s usage of highly expressive characters. These elements worked in harmony to provide us with a single dynamic moment in