Artaxerxes Receiving the Head of Cyrus
c. 1490/1510
Medium
niello print
Dimensions
sheet: 4.1 x 6.7 cm (1 5/8 x 2 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.6687
Art Historical Context
This small niello print by Peregrino da Cesena captures a dramatic moment from ancient history: the Persian king Artaxerxes receiving the severed head of his brother Cyrus. Created around 1490–1510, the work measures just over six centimeters wide, demonstrating the artist’s skill in rendering narrative detail within a miniature format. Niello prints, made by taking impressions from engraved metal plates filled with a dark sulfur alloy, were prized during the Italian Renaissance for their sharp lines and rich tonal contrasts, often serving as portable devotional images or collector’s items. P...