Unearthed in 1546 under the direction of Pope Paul III, the marble group (originally late 2nd century BCE) replicated by François Perrier impressed audiences with its scale and artistic complexity. It portrays the Thebian queen Dirce, who was tied to the horns of a bull by the sons of Antiope for her harsh treatment of their mother. The sculpture resided in the Palazzo Farnese during Perrier’s time, but his reproductive etching made the dramatic composition a source of study and inspiration for artists across Europe.