Skip to Main Content

Mucius Scaevola

1608
(Italian, about 1558–1610)
(Italian, 1481–1536)
Italy, 17th century
chiaroscuro woodcut
Gift of Ralph King 1925.47
Catalogue raisonné: Bartsch XII.98.7
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Description

This chiaroscuro woodcut in two blocks of greenish gray and black was printed after a drawing by Baldassarre Peruzzi. It displays Gaius Mucius Cordus, a youth who saved Rome from the siege ordered by the Etruscan king Lars Porsena in c. 509 BC. The legendary hero was caught while sneaking into the Etruscan camp in an attempt to assassinate Porsena. In this print, Mucius is thrusting his hand into a fire lit for sacrifice to demonstrate his bravery and endurance to torture. Without giving any sign of pain, Mucius earned for himself the nickname "Scaevola" (left-handed), and was freed by his enemy.
Mucius Scaevola

Mucius Scaevola

1608

Andrea Andreani, Balthasar Peruzzi

(Italian, about 1558–1610), (Italian, 1481–1536)
Italy, 17th century

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.