The subject of Scipio's clemency, described by Livy, Valerius Maximus and Petrarch, was very popular with artists, particularly in the 18th Century. Scipio, having taken the Spanish city of New Carthage, was given a beautiful girl as a prize. Finding that she was already betrothed, he asked to see her fiancé, and gave her back to him unharmed. Her parents had brought a ransom of gold for her release, but Scipio gave this to the bridegroom as a wedding gift.

West first painted the 'Continence of Scipio' circa 1766 on panel (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge), which he exhibited at the Society of Artists in that year, together with a possible companion picture of 'Pylades and Orestes' (see H. von Erffa and A. Staley, op.cit., pp.171-2, no. 18 and pp.260-1, no.186). The present treatment of the subject has only recently been discovered, together with its companion of 'Hector taking leave of Andromache' (see following lot).

In the past there has been some confusion between these paintings and others of classical subjects, in particular a pair of pictures in the New York Historical Society; for discussion of these paintings see Von Erffa and Staley, op.cit., nos. 164 and 179. A preparatory drawing for the subject of the 'Continence of Scipio' is in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.