1542
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Labors of Hercules is a 1542 by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, depicting Heracles, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting shows Hercules in various scenes, performing his labors. He's strangling a lion and killing a hydra, among other tasks. These scenes are packed into a small space, which is interesting because it shows the artist's skill in fitting many stories into a tiny area. The artist had to be very detailed to get all these stories in. This level of detail is what makes the work notable. You can see more works like this by looking up the technique of chiaroscuro.
Beham was one of several German printmakers referred to today as the “Little Masters.” They established their artistic prowess by engraving remarkably small prints, appealing to collectors fascinated with miniature objects and curiosities. Here, Beham has packed 12 larger-than-life stories of the mighty Hercules into tiny prints. The series includes three of the 12 labors Hercules performed as penance for slaying his children in a fit of madness: Strangling the Nemean Lion, Killing the Lernean Hydra, and Dragging Cerberus from the Underworld. The other scenes depict tales from his life and…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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