1545
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Giant Cacus is a 1545 by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, depicting Heracles, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This engraving shows Hercules strangling the giant Cacus. A beastly figure lies under the hero’s grip while fire spouts from a cave behind. Beham packs muscle and drama into every line, making the tiny print feel huge. The German artist was part of the “Little Masters.” They carved super-small prints that collectors loved like tiny treasures. Notice how light and shadow fight on Cacus’s body—Beham’s lines feel almost three-dimensional. Want to see more? Look up Hans Sebald Beham (German, 1500–1550).
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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