Mucius Scaevola steekt zijn hand in het vuur

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

This striking chiaroscuro woodcut by Andrea Andreani captures a pivotal moment from ancient Roman legend. Created in 1608, the print depicts the young Roman nobleman Mucius Scaevola thrusting his hand into flames before the Etruscan king Porsenna, a dramatic act of defiance and stoic courage. According to Livy’s histories, Mucius volunteered to assassinate the enemy leader during Rome’s early struggles for survival; when captured, he demonstrated his indifference to pain and death by deliberately burning his own hand, earning the nickname “Scaevola” (left-handed). Andreani, an Italian printmaker renowned for his mastery of the chiaroscuro technique, used multiple woodblocks to achieve rich tonal contrasts and sculptural depth. This labor-intensive method—combining a key block with tone blocks—allowed him to evoke the flickering firelight and muscular tension of the scene with remarkable vividness. Such prints played an important role in disseminating classical stories and Renaissance artistic ideals across Europe during the early seventeenth century. Measuring roughly 268 by 211 millimeters, the work exemplifies the refined print culture of the period, when collectors prized these luminous woodcuts for their dramatic effects and moral resonance. The presence of the Lugt 240 collector’s mark further attests to its long-standing appeal among connoisseurs.