Jean-Germain Drouais completed Marius at Minturnae in 1786, depicting a scene from Roman history in which the exiled general Gaius Marius confronts an assassin sent to kill him. Painted in oil on canvas, this work was created during the height of the Neoclassical movement in France, a period marked by a renewed interest in themes from antiquity and a focus on moral virtue and stoic heroism. The painting is recognized as a significant achievement in Drouais's short career, completed shortly before his early death. The composition centers on two male figures in a stark, dimly lit interior.

On the right, Marius sits draped in a vivid red cloak, his body partially exposed, with one arm extended in a commanding gesture. His expression is resolute and intense, directed at the soldier on the left, who recoils in fear, covering his face with his cloak and holding a sword loosely at his side. The dramatic use of light highlights the muscular form of Marius and the folds of the drapery, while the subdued background and minimal furnishings focus attention on the psychological confrontation.

The helmet placed on the table beside Marius serves as a reminder of his former power and military status. Marius at Minturnae was exhibited at the Salon of 1786, where it was praised for its clarity of composition and the expressive force of its figures. The work was commissioned as part of Drouais's efforts to win recognition at the French Academy, reflecting the era's emphasis on history painting as the highest form of art. Today, it remains an important example of late eighteenth-century Neoclassicism and is held in a major French museum collection.