Gerome’s famous painting Pollice Verso which depicts a gladiator looking to the Vestal Virgins to determine a fallen opponent’s fate.
I know this painting inspired the movie Gladiator (compare the Colosseum in this painting to that in the movie next time you’re watching it!), but I’ve never loved the way the Vestal Virgins are depicted here. The fallen man reaches out asking for mercy, but the thumbs-down gestures of the Vestals is merciless. Compare this painting to another in this Gallery (a painting by Leroux—click here to view it) which shows a similar scene, and you’ll see a far more flattering depiction of the Vestals.
By Jean-Léon Gérôme - phxart.org : Gallery, Pic, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12278