Hercules and the Nemean Lion
1566
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1566
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Hercules and the Nemean Lion is a 1566 ink by Nicolò Boldrini, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
You see a muscular man in a lion skin wrestling a huge lion. The man’s face strains while the lion claws at him. The scene is full of rough lines and deep shadows. This isn’t just a battle. It’s a woodcut, a kind of print made by carving into wood. Boldrini used two blocks—one for light, one for dark—to make the shadows pop. Want to see how this trick works? Try a woodcut.
