▁in ▁mind ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁ext rap olate ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁mean ings ▁that ▁the ▁patron ▁wished ▁to ▁port ray ▁by ▁the ▁commission ing ▁of ▁the ▁work . ▁The ▁fasc ination ▁with ▁Roman ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁prest ige ▁of ▁history ▁painting , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁a cademy , ▁means ▁that ▁this ▁painting ▁would ▁probably ▁have ▁been ▁held ▁in ▁high ▁regard . ▁ ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁dep ict ▁Sci pio ▁African us ▁himself , ▁however , ▁gives ▁the ▁deep est ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁mean ings ▁of ▁the ▁image . ▁Sci pio ▁gained ▁his ▁fame ▁in ▁Rome ▁through ▁his ▁expl oration ▁and ▁conqu ering ▁of ▁areas ▁of ▁Africa ▁for ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic . ▁Sci pio ▁is ▁here ▁dep icted ▁as ▁the ▁bene vol ent ▁and ▁powerful ▁conquer or , ▁phys ically ▁being ▁raised ▁above ▁the ▁other ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁image ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁figure ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁the ▁upper ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁composition . ▁Sci pio ' s ▁expl oration ▁of ▁and ▁power ▁over ▁the ▁African ▁continent ▁has ▁been ▁util ized ▁here ▁to ▁reflect ▁and ▁show ▁off ▁the ▁patron ' s ▁power ▁and ▁world ly ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁Off ▁the ▁Wall ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Sci pio ▁African us ▁Free ing ▁Mass iva ▁was ▁featured ▁in ▁Off ▁the ▁Wall , ▁an ▁open - air ▁exhibition ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁A ▁reprodu ction ▁of ▁the ▁painting , ▁the ▁original ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁The ▁Wal ters ▁Art ▁Museum ▁collection , ▁was ▁on ▁display ▁at ▁the ▁Clar