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Agostino dei Musi

Emperor Freeing the Slave Androcles

1516/17
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
40.2 × 27 cm (15.8 × 10.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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.

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