Arria and Paetus

At left, Arria visits her imprisoned husband, Paetus, who had joined an uprising against the Roman emperor Claudius (reigned 41–54 CE). She reminds him that suicide is the honorable option for a Roman prisoner. While the painting focuses on the moment just before she inflicts the wound, Arria ultimately demonstrated this choice by plunging the knife into her own breast, saying, “See, Paetus, it does not hurt.” This obscure story allowed artists such as François-André Vincent to demonstrate their mastery of elements of classicism, evident in the use of profile poses, stage-like settings, and carefully defined forms.