Artwork
Hercules at the Crossroad
Hercules at the Crossroad is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1498 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, bottom center: AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand: 19 [?]; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand: 19003 [upside down]; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand: EE638; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand:8[0?] [sideways]; verso, lower right corner, in graphite by a later hand: 163[3?]; verso, bottom center, in graphite by a later hand: Les Effets de la jalousie [the effects of jealousy]
About this work
Overview
Hercules at the Crossroad is an engraving on laid paper created by Albrecht Dürer in 1498. It is a print held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts a wooded scene with three figures: a standing man holding a staff, a slumped seated man, and a woman between them. The standing man is often interpreted as embodying virtue, while the seated man represents temptation, a contrast common in Renaissance art.
Technique & Style
The image is created using engraving, a technique that relies on lines to produce detailed images. Dürer was skilled in this medium, using it to achieve a high level of intricacy.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
