Women in ancient Rome it more praiseworthy to be a good husband than a good senator." A man of status during the Roman Republic was expected to behave moderately toward his wife and to define himself as a good husband. Wife beating was sufficient grounds for divorce or other legal action against the husband. Domestic abuse enters the historical record mainly when it involves the egregious excesses of the elite. The Emperor Nero was alleged to have had his first wife (and stepsister) Claudia Octavia murdered, after subjecting her to torture and imprisonment. Nero then married his pregnant mistress Poppaea Sabina, whom he kicked
In the garden door. The artist's wife contrast between cold and warm colors contribute to the feeling of space. In the foreground to the left penetrates warm orange and yellow colors of the curtain and the dress while the cooler green and blue colors remain in the image's background. Ring was 42 years old when he painted the portrait of his wife, who was 22 at the time. From this context, art historians interpret the painting as a love letter to his pregnant wife, which positions the trip looking to the spring blooming flora, symbolizing love. For example, myrtle over her head is a symbol of Aphrodite