1506
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Hercules and Nessus is a 1506 ink by Marcantonio Raimondi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a muscular man lifting a smaller figure over his shoulder. The man’s arms are stretched wide, gripping a tree branch above. The smaller figure clings to his back, legs dangling. A bird flies nearby, and the scene looks like a struggle near a rocky shore. The text at the top reads *"DIVOR CULI"*—likely a misprint for a name tied to the story. The artist used fine lines to show muscle and movement, which is typical of this style. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this carved images into metal plates.
Marcantonio Raimondi, often called simply Marcantonio (c. 1470/82 – c. 1534), was an Italian engraver, known for being the first important printmaker whose body of work consists largely of prints copying paintings. He…
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