The hero of Republican Rome, Lucius Quinctius Cinncinatus had abandoned public life and retired to farm work. This painting depicts the moment when various representatives of the Senate offer to name him dictator. Ribera chooses the exact moment when the senators hand the purple robes, symbolizing power, to Cincinnatus, who has just stopped plowing. The correct drawing and perfect modeling of the figures, distributed in the manner of an ancient frieze, make this one of the finest works of all Spanish Neoclassical painting. Some technical details, such as the mastery of light -visible in the brilliant white toga of the senator whose back is turned to the viewer- and the perfect placement of the figures are magnificent examples of Ribera´s skill. This painting received the approval of Ribera´s teacher, Jacques Louis David, who compared it in quality to the work of contemporary French artists. It was later sent to the Spanish king, Carlos IV. During the reign of Fernando VII, it was sent to the Casino of the Queen, from whence it entered the Prado Museum.