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Emperor Freeing the Slave Androcles

A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1516/17

Artist:

Agostino dei Musi
Italian, c. 1490-after 1536

About this artwork

In Aesop’s Fables, the escaped slave Androcles is thrown to a lion for the amusement of the emperor. Miraculoush, the beast greets him like a puppy instead of tearing him limb from limb. Androcles had once removed a thorn from the lion’s paw, and in gratitude the animal spares his life in the arena. The emperor is so touched by the story that he too spares Androcles’ life and sends the lion back to the wild. Agostino Veneziano may have used a drawing by Raphael as the model for this engraving. Its subject matter reflects the early-16th-century fascination with ancient literature and sculpture.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Agostino dei Musi

Title

Emperor Freeing the Slave Androcles

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1511–1521

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/plate: 40.2 × 27 cm (15 7/8 × 10 11/16 in.); Sheet: 40.4 × 26.8 cm (15 15/16 × 10 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer, II

Reference Number

1919.2560

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/111257/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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