Mucius Scaevola

As told by Livy in his History of Rome, the young Roman nobleman Caius Mucius 'Scaevola' (meaning left-handed) was so named because, when captured in the camp of Lars Porsena, the Etruscan king he had come to assassinate, he thrust his right hand into the flames of an altar to show how little he valued his own life. Mosca trained and worked in Padua and Venice, but emigrated to Poland around 1530. This high relief in classical style shows the strong influence of Antonio and Tullio Lombardo, the leading Venetian sculptors of the period. Artist: Giovanni Maria Mosca (active 1507 - 1574)