1522
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Hercules and a Muse is a 1522 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, depicting Clothed Male, Naked Female, held at National Gallery of Art.
Albrecht Altdorfer’s engraving shows Hercules leaning on his club. A woman in flowing robes—probably a muse—stands beside him, pointing to a tiny landscape below. The background is a tangle of trees and rocky hills, packed with detail. This wasn’t just a myth scene. Altdorfer made prints for collectors, not big paintings. His lines are sharp, but the cross-hatching creates soft shadows too. Notice how the muse’s gesture feels gentle, not heroic. If you like this, check out Altdorfer, Albrecht.
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
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