1545
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules and the Columns of Gades is a 1545 by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows Hercules standing between two large columns. He's a strong figure in the center. The artist packed a lot of detail into a small space, which was typical of his style as one of the "Little Masters", a group of German printmakers known for their small but intricate engravings. They created art that appealed to collectors of small objects. This made their work very popular. To learn more about this style, look 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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