1545
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Dragging Cerberus from the Underworld is a 1545 by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, depicting Heracles, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Hercules drags a snarling Cerberus up from darkness by one of his three heads. The dog’s claws scrape stone as light hits their bodies. Beham packs this myth into a tiny copper plate. He was one of the “Little Masters.” They carved scenes so small, a whole battle or labor fits in your palm. This print is less than three inches tall. Look up Hans Sebald Beham (German, 1500–1550) to see more of his mini mythologies.
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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