Artwork
Hercules Slaying the Hydra
Hercules Slaying the Hydra is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Guercino. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by seventeenth-century hand, lower left corner, pen and brown ink, Guerchin; by later hand, verso upper right, graphite: 40 [underlined]; center left, 4186/ I
- Markings
- Marked:collector stamps: black circle with letters or figure inside [illegible]; Henri Joachim Delacroix, Paris 1873-1937 (L. 3604)
About this work
Overview
Hercules Slaying the Hydra is a drawing by Guercino, created around 1618 using pen and brown ink with brown wash. It exemplifies the artist's early style, marked by naturalism and expressive draftsmanship.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts Hercules wrestling the Hydra, a mythological serpent with multiple heads. Notably, the Hydra has seven heads, deviating from the more common representations with fewer heads.
Technique & Style
Executed in a loose and rapid manner, the drawing features dark ink shading and an emphasis on capturing movement. The artist prioritized conveying energy and urgency over precise detail, showcasing Guercino's skill in lively draftsmanship.
Context
This work is characteristic of Guercino's early period, during which he developed a vigorous naturalistic style. It reflects the artistic tendencies of the Italian Baroque era, in which Guercino was a prominent figure.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (8 February 1591 – 22 December 1666), better known as (il) Guercino (Italian pronunciation: ), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna.
