The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of February 24, 2026
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra
1545
(German, 1500–1550)
Catalogue raisonné: Pauli 107.100 ; Bartsch VIII.18.102
Location: Not on view
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.- {{cite web|title=The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra|url=false|author=Hans Sebald Beham|year=1545|access-date=24 February 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1950.464