Artwork Page for The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra

Details / Information for The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra

The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra

1545

Hans Sebald Beham

(German, 1500–1550)
Culture
Germany
Medium
engraving
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1950.464
Catalogue raisonné
Pauli 107.100 ; Bartsch VIII.18.102
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Hercules and his nephew Iolaus work together to defeat the multiheaded hydra of Lerna. To stop the hydra from regrowing its heads, Iolaus torches each neck as Hercules removes the head with his club. Meanwhile, a lobster aids the hydra by attacking Hercules’s heel. According to legend, Hercules dipped his arrowheads in the dead hydra’s blood to make them poisonous. Beham was one of several German printmakers referred to today as the “Little Masters.” They established their artistic prowess by engraving remarkably small prints, appealing to collectors fascinated with miniature objects and curiosities.

The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra

1545

Hans Sebald Beham

(German, 1500–1550)
Germany

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.