What is the chair depicted in Cesare Maccari's 1889 painting “Cicerone denuncia Catilina”?












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There are a number of inaccuracies in Cesare Maccari's painting. Wikipedia notes that the arrangement of the chairs was of parallel rather than radial as depicted. Did Maccari accurately depict the shape of the chairs of the senate of Republican Rome? And, regardless of their accuracy, what are the chairs called that are depicted here?










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    There are a number of inaccuracies in Cesare Maccari's painting. Wikipedia notes that the arrangement of the chairs was of parallel rather than radial as depicted. Did Maccari accurately depict the shape of the chairs of the senate of Republican Rome? And, regardless of their accuracy, what are the chairs called that are depicted here?










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    holomenicus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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      There are a number of inaccuracies in Cesare Maccari's painting. Wikipedia notes that the arrangement of the chairs was of parallel rather than radial as depicted. Did Maccari accurately depict the shape of the chairs of the senate of Republican Rome? And, regardless of their accuracy, what are the chairs called that are depicted here?










      share|improve this question







      New contributor




      holomenicus is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.












      There are a number of inaccuracies in Cesare Maccari's painting. Wikipedia notes that the arrangement of the chairs was of parallel rather than radial as depicted. Did Maccari accurately depict the shape of the chairs of the senate of Republican Rome? And, regardless of their accuracy, what are the chairs called that are depicted here?







      art roman-republic classical-antiquity rome furniture






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          The chairs are called curule chairs.



          This painting is a romantic painting. It is anything but accurate. What it shows is how Victorians thought or would like it to be. Roman senators brought their own curule chairs to the meetings of the senate. Or more accurate: their servants brought them.



          Compare a curule chair with those on the painting. Vastly different. Reason for the shape of this type of chair is the toga. You can't sit properly in a normal chair wearing a toga. It would crumple and look bad. In a curule chair you have to sit upright, which shows the toga in its proper folds.



          Today on toga parties people usually wear bed sheets wrapped around them. That's not a toga. A toga is a long garment, about 6 meters long, with rounded edges. You have to properly wear it, and it takes time to dress up in one. Only Roman citizens were allowed to wear them, and they only wore them on special occasions, as we would wear a smoking. (Which is far more comfortable to wear.) Roman senators would wear them very often, most other people only on formal occasions. You wouldn't wear underwear with a toga, as going to the toilet would be next to impossible. A tunica was often worn under it. (Cato the Younger was notable for wearing nothing under his toga. He did it out of nostalgia, and it was frowned upon.)



          Senators sat in U shaped rows (front, left, right) to the speaker, in order of seniority. What you do not see is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticlave, the broad purple stripe on the toga and tunic that only senators were allowed to wear.




          • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angusticlavia


          The wikipedia article about roman senators shows the picture you asked your question about, with this remark:




          It is worth noting that idealistic medieval and subsequent artistic depictions of the Senate in session are almost uniformly inaccurate.







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            1 Answer
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            active

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            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            3














            The chairs are called curule chairs.



            This painting is a romantic painting. It is anything but accurate. What it shows is how Victorians thought or would like it to be. Roman senators brought their own curule chairs to the meetings of the senate. Or more accurate: their servants brought them.



            Compare a curule chair with those on the painting. Vastly different. Reason for the shape of this type of chair is the toga. You can't sit properly in a normal chair wearing a toga. It would crumple and look bad. In a curule chair you have to sit upright, which shows the toga in its proper folds.



            Today on toga parties people usually wear bed sheets wrapped around them. That's not a toga. A toga is a long garment, about 6 meters long, with rounded edges. You have to properly wear it, and it takes time to dress up in one. Only Roman citizens were allowed to wear them, and they only wore them on special occasions, as we would wear a smoking. (Which is far more comfortable to wear.) Roman senators would wear them very often, most other people only on formal occasions. You wouldn't wear underwear with a toga, as going to the toilet would be next to impossible. A tunica was often worn under it. (Cato the Younger was notable for wearing nothing under his toga. He did it out of nostalgia, and it was frowned upon.)



            Senators sat in U shaped rows (front, left, right) to the speaker, in order of seniority. What you do not see is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticlave, the broad purple stripe on the toga and tunic that only senators were allowed to wear.




            • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angusticlavia


            The wikipedia article about roman senators shows the picture you asked your question about, with this remark:




            It is worth noting that idealistic medieval and subsequent artistic depictions of the Senate in session are almost uniformly inaccurate.







            share|improve this answer






























              3














              The chairs are called curule chairs.



              This painting is a romantic painting. It is anything but accurate. What it shows is how Victorians thought or would like it to be. Roman senators brought their own curule chairs to the meetings of the senate. Or more accurate: their servants brought them.



              Compare a curule chair with those on the painting. Vastly different. Reason for the shape of this type of chair is the toga. You can't sit properly in a normal chair wearing a toga. It would crumple and look bad. In a curule chair you have to sit upright, which shows the toga in its proper folds.



              Today on toga parties people usually wear bed sheets wrapped around them. That's not a toga. A toga is a long garment, about 6 meters long, with rounded edges. You have to properly wear it, and it takes time to dress up in one. Only Roman citizens were allowed to wear them, and they only wore them on special occasions, as we would wear a smoking. (Which is far more comfortable to wear.) Roman senators would wear them very often, most other people only on formal occasions. You wouldn't wear underwear with a toga, as going to the toilet would be next to impossible. A tunica was often worn under it. (Cato the Younger was notable for wearing nothing under his toga. He did it out of nostalgia, and it was frowned upon.)



              Senators sat in U shaped rows (front, left, right) to the speaker, in order of seniority. What you do not see is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticlave, the broad purple stripe on the toga and tunic that only senators were allowed to wear.




              • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angusticlavia


              The wikipedia article about roman senators shows the picture you asked your question about, with this remark:




              It is worth noting that idealistic medieval and subsequent artistic depictions of the Senate in session are almost uniformly inaccurate.







              share|improve this answer




























                3












                3








                3







                The chairs are called curule chairs.



                This painting is a romantic painting. It is anything but accurate. What it shows is how Victorians thought or would like it to be. Roman senators brought their own curule chairs to the meetings of the senate. Or more accurate: their servants brought them.



                Compare a curule chair with those on the painting. Vastly different. Reason for the shape of this type of chair is the toga. You can't sit properly in a normal chair wearing a toga. It would crumple and look bad. In a curule chair you have to sit upright, which shows the toga in its proper folds.



                Today on toga parties people usually wear bed sheets wrapped around them. That's not a toga. A toga is a long garment, about 6 meters long, with rounded edges. You have to properly wear it, and it takes time to dress up in one. Only Roman citizens were allowed to wear them, and they only wore them on special occasions, as we would wear a smoking. (Which is far more comfortable to wear.) Roman senators would wear them very often, most other people only on formal occasions. You wouldn't wear underwear with a toga, as going to the toilet would be next to impossible. A tunica was often worn under it. (Cato the Younger was notable for wearing nothing under his toga. He did it out of nostalgia, and it was frowned upon.)



                Senators sat in U shaped rows (front, left, right) to the speaker, in order of seniority. What you do not see is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticlave, the broad purple stripe on the toga and tunic that only senators were allowed to wear.




                • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angusticlavia


                The wikipedia article about roman senators shows the picture you asked your question about, with this remark:




                It is worth noting that idealistic medieval and subsequent artistic depictions of the Senate in session are almost uniformly inaccurate.







                share|improve this answer















                The chairs are called curule chairs.



                This painting is a romantic painting. It is anything but accurate. What it shows is how Victorians thought or would like it to be. Roman senators brought their own curule chairs to the meetings of the senate. Or more accurate: their servants brought them.



                Compare a curule chair with those on the painting. Vastly different. Reason for the shape of this type of chair is the toga. You can't sit properly in a normal chair wearing a toga. It would crumple and look bad. In a curule chair you have to sit upright, which shows the toga in its proper folds.



                Today on toga parties people usually wear bed sheets wrapped around them. That's not a toga. A toga is a long garment, about 6 meters long, with rounded edges. You have to properly wear it, and it takes time to dress up in one. Only Roman citizens were allowed to wear them, and they only wore them on special occasions, as we would wear a smoking. (Which is far more comfortable to wear.) Roman senators would wear them very often, most other people only on formal occasions. You wouldn't wear underwear with a toga, as going to the toilet would be next to impossible. A tunica was often worn under it. (Cato the Younger was notable for wearing nothing under his toga. He did it out of nostalgia, and it was frowned upon.)



                Senators sat in U shaped rows (front, left, right) to the speaker, in order of seniority. What you do not see is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laticlave, the broad purple stripe on the toga and tunic that only senators were allowed to wear.




                • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angusticlavia


                The wikipedia article about roman senators shows the picture you asked your question about, with this remark:




                It is worth noting that idealistic medieval and subsequent artistic depictions of the Senate in session are almost uniformly inaccurate.








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                edited 28 mins ago

























                answered 39 mins ago









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