Late 16th century ROMANIAN school, after Polidoro da Caravag - Lot 2

Lot n° 2
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Estimation :
2000 - 3000 EUR
Late 16th century ROMANIAN school, after Polidoro da Caravag - Lot 2
Late 16th century ROMANIAN school, after Polidoro da Caravaggio (1495-1543) The firmness of Mucius Scaevola in front of King Porsenna Pen and brown ink, brown wash, white gouache highlight, on old blue paper 135 x 320 mm. (Bends, rubbing, small holes and missing parts) Our drawing is a testimony of the great posterity of Polidoro's exterior decorations, made in fresco. In 1524-1525 he painted an ambitious cycle on the story of Mucius Scaevola for the Palazzo Ricci, located in Piazza De' Ricci, in the Regola (Rione VII) district of Rome. Still in place today, it was probably Polidoro's most copied decoration. Our drawing shows the central episode of this myth: the young hero, having entered the camp of the enemy king Porsenna to assassinate him, has - in fact - hit his secretary, richly adorned. Arrested and questioned by Porsenna, Mucius defies him and plunges his hand in the fire with his words "See, see how little the body is for those who have in sight only the glory". Freed by Porsenna who salutes his courage, Mucius, in a last gesture, tells him that 300 young Romans have - like him - sworn that they would assassinate him. Frightened by this (false) revelation, Porsenna will give up his seat and negotiate peace.
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