1522
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Hercules Overcoming the Nemean Lion is a 1522 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a man wrestling a lion. The man has a bow and arrows slung over his shoulder, and he's grabbing the lion's mouth with one hand and its mane with the other. The lion is on its back, its paws in the air, and its mouth open in a snarl. The engraving is done in dark lines on light paper, with lots of cross-hatching to create shading and texture. The lines are thick and expressive, giving the scene a sense of energy and movement. The artist's use of engraving and cross-hatching creates a detailed, high-contrast image that draws the viewer in. If you're interested in more works like this, check out the Renaissance movement.
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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