The Story of Virginia (Botticelli)

The Story of Virginia (Italian, Storie di Virginia), is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli. It is a tempera on panel and measures 86 cm tall and 165 cm wide. It is currently held by the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy.

The Story of Virginia
Italian: Storie di Virginia
Artist	Sandro Botticelli
Year	1500–1504
Medium	tempera on panel
Dimensions	86 cm × 165 cm (34 in × 65 in)
Location	Accademia Carrara, Bergamo

It is one of the last works that Botticelli made exemplifying virtue, like The Story of Lucretia.

The painting has as a fundamental theme of violated honor and matrimonial fidelity. The combination of several scenes in a single image was common in the art of the early Renaissance. These are read from left to right:

• Virginia, in the company of other women, is violated or assaulted by Marcus Claudius, who wants to force her to yield to Appius Claudius Crassus;
• He carries her to the tribunal presided by Appius Claudius who declares her a slave;
• The father and the husband of the woman plead for clemency
• The father, to preserve the family honor, kills her and flees on horseback.

This story is developed within a setting of classical architecture, in which the figures are agitated, painted with vibrant colors.