The Massacre under the Roman Triumvirate

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *The Massacre under the Roman Triumvirate*, reproduces a design by the Flemish artist Hans Vredeman de Vries and dates to the fifteenth century. Created through the intaglio process of engraving, the print captures a dramatic episode from ancient Roman history—the proscriptions ordered by the Second Triumvirate in 43 BCE, when political rivals were systematically eliminated. Such scenes of conflict and authority held strong resonance in Renaissance Europe, where classical history served as both moral lesson and political commentary. Prints like this one played a vital r...