Mucius Scaevola
Medium
chiaroscuro woodcut
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Ralph King
Accession Number
1925.47
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
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 sig...