Hercules and the Nemean Lion
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in green (state ii)
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 13/16 × 7 5/8 in. (25 × 19.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.73.3-64
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, where *Hercules and the Nemean Lion* (ca. 1540–50) captures one of the ancient hero's most iconic feats. This chiaroscuro woodcut depicts Hercules wrestling the fearsome Nemean Lion, whose impenetrable hide he famously strangled in his first labor from Greek mythology. Printed from two blocks in green tones (state II), the sheet measures 9 13/16 × 7 5/8 inches, showcasing the Renaissance revival of classical tales through accessible printmaking. Associated with master engravers Niccolò Vicentino and Andrea Andreani af...