1532
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Mucius Scaevola is a 1532 by Heinrich Aldegrever, a Northern Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows two muscular men in a tense scene. One stands bare-chested, holding a torch in his left hand and gesturing with his right. The other sits on a chair, gripping his right hand—it looks like it’s on fire. A small boy peeks out from behind the standing man, and a table holds a burning branch. The standing man’s calm face contrasts with the drama of his burning hand. This was a famous act of bravery in ancient Rome. Next, look up the Renaissance to see how artists used stories like this to teach lessons.
Heinrich Aldegrever or Aldegraf was a German painter and engraver. He was one of the "Little Masters", the group of German artists making small old master prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer.
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