1498
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Hercules at the Crossroad is a 1498 ink by Albrecht Dürer, a Northern Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows three figures in a wooded scene. One man stands tall, holding a staff and looking upward, while another man sits slumped on the ground with his head down. A woman stands between them, reaching toward the standing man. Trees, a castle, and a small child appear in the background. The standing man is often seen as a symbol of virtue, while the seated man represents temptation. This contrast was a common theme in Renaissance art. Look up engraving to see how artists like Dürer created detailed images using only lines.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
See the richer artist page
![Madonna and Child [obverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d7b8ebf05d22ebe5/thumb.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/b4ebf9b282faa17a/thumb.webp)
