1542
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Defeating the Centaurs is a 1542 by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, depicting Heracles, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows Hercules fighting Centaurs. It's part of a series of small prints. These prints are notable because they tell big stories in a small space, which was appealing to collectors of miniature objects. Hans Sebald Beham was skilled at engraving small details. He was one of several German printmakers referred to as the “Little Masters”. They made small prints that were highly detailed. You can learn more about this style by looking up the work of Hans Sebald Beham.
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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