MARTIN
Jacques Martin
Alix
Portfolio Scenes from ancient life, Alain Littaye 1983
India ink, graphite and white gouache on paper
32.5 x 42.7 cm (12.8 x 16.81 in.)
Beautiful work of Jacques Martin, always keen on technique, in the realization of this Roman trireme which was going to ensure to the empire the control of the seas. It is characterized by its three rows of oars, which were pulled by slaves or prisoners of war, and its rostrum at the front capable of skewering an enemy ship. On the inflated sail, the Roman she-wolf with the founders of the city, Romulus and Remus. Alix and Enak, in the foreground, are on a merchant ship carrying amphorae. This illustration is emblematic of Jacques Martin's work: a clear, precise line, based on solid documentation, with characters marked by a certain verism, inherited from ancient statuary.
