Milo of Croton Attacked by Wild Beasts (after Pordenone)

An ancient Roman author tells the story of Milo of Croton, an athlete who was devoured by wild beasts in the sixth century B.C. as a punishment for his excessive pride. Coming upon a partly split tree in the forest, Milo felt sure he had the strength to pull the trunk apart, but the two halves snapped back together, leaving him helpless to defend himself.

Boldrini created this woodcut after Pordenone’s painting of the same subject, but there were difficult qualities to reproduce in woodcut; the adjustments Boldrini made to Pordenone’s landscape may reflect the stylistic limitations of his print medium. He eliminated the misty lake and blocked the receding mountains, which dim to a subtle blue-gray in the painting, with a grove of trees.