Mucius Scaevola, from "The Roman Heroes"
Medium
Engraving; second state
Dimensions
14 5/16 x 9 3/16 in. (36.4 x 23.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.33
Tags
About this artwork
Hendrick Goltzius' 'Mucius Scaevola' from the 1586 series 'The Roman Heroes' showcases the Dutch master's supreme technical virtuosity and his role in spreading Mannerist aesthetics across Northern Europe. Published in 1586 with a dedication to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, the series consists of an allegorical prologue and epilogue that bracket eight effigies of Roman warriors, exemplars of martial virtus taken mainly from the first decade of Livy's Ab urbe condita. Engraved on exceptionally la...
Art Historical Context
In Hendrick Goltzius's *Mucius Scaevola* (1586), part of the acclaimed series *The Roman Heroes visitors encounter a dramatic engraving celebrating ancient Roman virtus. This Dutch master's print depicts the legendary Gaius Mucius Scae, who boldly thrust his right hand into flames before Etruscan king Larsorsena to prove hisyielding resolve and fearlessness Drawn from Livy's * urbe condita*,caevola joins other warriors like Horatius Cocles in a chronological lineup of eight heroic effigies, framed by allegorical prologue and epilogue prints. Dedicated to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, the serie...
About the Artist
Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...