Artaxerxes Receiving the Head of Cyrus

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. Peregrino da Cesena worked in a period when printmaking was rapidly evolving as an art form. His choice of the niello technique reflects both technical innovation and the demand for affordable yet refined works that could circulate stories from classical and biblical sources. The compact scale invites close viewing, rewarding the observer with intricate line work that conveys movement and emotion despite the limited surface. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, the print exemplifies how Renaissance artists used new reproductive media to bring historical narratives to wider audiences. Its survival offers modern viewers a glimpse into the early history of printmaking and the enduring appeal of dramatic storytelling across centuries.