Tomyris with the Head of Cyrus (verso)

Tomyris with the Head of Cyrus (verso) is a preparatory drawing created by Peter Paul Rubens between 1637 and 1638. The work employs a complex array of media, utilizing pen and brown ink, supplemented by applications of black and red chalk. This combination allows the artist to rapidly explore compositional ideas, developing volume, shadow, and dramatic lighting effects crucial to the Baroque style.

The drawing depicts the gruesome historical episode involving the Massagetan Queen Tomyris, who, seeking revenge for the death of her son, ordered the severed head of the vanquished Persian King Cyrus the Great to be submerged in a container of human blood. This subject, which provided ample opportunity for dramatic narrative and moral commentary on excessive ambition, was a popular motif among Northern European artists.

As the leading figure in Flemish Baroque art, Rubens was instrumental in defining the visual and intellectual culture of 17th-century Belgium. This preliminary study showcases his mature draftsmanship, characterized by swift, powerful lines that capture movement and emotion with efficiency. Drawings of this nature were essential elements of the workshop practice; they served not only to resolve composition but often acted as models for assistants or subsequent production of fine-art prints intended for a wider audience. The detail and complexity of the sheet suggest it was highly valued as a significant resource within Rubens’s studio.

This important example of the artist’s graphic work resides in the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Like many master drawings used as working tools, it is widely made available for study, with high-quality reproductions often circulating in the public domain.