Mucius Scaevola c. 17th century

Bernardo Castello's pen and wash drawing depicts Mucius Scaevola, a Roman hero, demonstrating his courage to the Etruscan king Lars Porsena. Made in Genoa around 1600, the image draws on classical history to explore contemporary concerns around leadership and civic virtue. Castello presents a dramatic scene. Mucius, having failed to assassinate Porsena, thrusts his hand into a brazier, unflinching in his pain. Porsena, visibly impressed, recoils in a gesture of both fear and respect. This moment, drawn from Livy's history of Rome, resonated in a time of political upheaval and religious conflict. Italian city-states, including Genoa, looked to Roman history for models of republican ideals and stoic self-sacrifice. The story of Scaevola was especially popular among artists and political thinkers during the late Renaissance and Baroque periods as the Roman Republic was seen as a model for civic organization. To fully understand this drawing, a historian might consult Livy's writings, period treatises on governance, and artistic trends in Genoa during the late 16th century. Art becomes a lens through which to examine the values of a specific society.