Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna
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Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna or The Fortitude of Scaevola[1] is an oil on canvas painting which was executed after a design by Rubens by artists in Rubens' workshop who may have included Anthony van Dyck. The work is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary. It was formerly thought to be the work of the same subject painted by Rubens for the Spanish royal court and brought with him on his visit to Madrid in 1628. It is now assumed that the original picture was destroyed by a fire in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid in 1735 and this painting is a studio copy dating to 1626-1628.[2][3]
The subject matter of the painting is drawn from Livy 2:12 and Plutarch (Publicola, 17, 1) and in particular their account of Mucius Scaevola's bravery before Lars Porsenna after the former's failed attempt to assassinate the latter.[4] According to the story, Mucius secretly entered Porsenna's camp with the aim of assassinating him. Failing to recognize the king, he mistakenly killed his secretary who was sitting beside the king. After his arrest, he showed his fortitude in the prospect of torture by thrusting his right hand into a fire of an altar prepared for sacrifice. This explains his surname Scaevola (‘left-handed').[5]
Rubens' treatment
Rubens' representation of the story stays close to his Latin sources. It shows Scaevola facing King Porsenna on his throne putting his clenched fist in the fire. His sword is visible sticking in the corpse of the murdered secretary. Rubens seems to have followed Plutarc's treatment of the story h in particular, because it is this author who implies that Scaevola left his sword in the body of his victim.[4]
