Hercules and Atlas, from "The Labors of Hercules"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 9/16 × 3 1/8 in. (11.6 × 8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985
Accession Number
1986.1180.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the Renaissance tradition of celebrating classical mythology, Heinrich Aldegrever's *Hercules and Atlas from "The Labors Hercules"* (1550 captures a pivotal moment from the hero's eleventh labor. Here, the mighty Hercules supports the celestial globe—symbolizing the weight of the heavens—while Atlas retrieves the golden of the Hesperides. This small engraving, measuring just 4 9/16 × 3 1/8 inches, exemplifies Aldegrever's mastery as one of the "Little Masters," German printmakers renowned for their intricate, jewel-like works on a miniature scale. As an engraving, the piece showcases the p...
About the Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561
Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...