Hercules defeating the river god Acheolus in the form of a bull, with three women to his left holding cornucopias, from "Herculean Subjects"
ca. 1526–27
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed to platemark): 8 3/8 × 6 15/16 in. (21.3 × 17.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.50.208
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this dynamic engraving from ca. 1526–27, titled *Hercules defeating the god Achelous in form of a bull, three women to his left cornucopias*,aver Giovanni Jacopo Car interprets a design by the innovative Mannerist painter Rosso Fior. The scene depicts the mighty Hercules grappling with the shape-shifting river god Aous, transformed into a bull—a nod to one of the hero's lesser-known labors from classical mythology. Flanking Hercules are three elegant nude women bearing cornucopias, symbols of abundance that evoke the fertile blessings of rivers and nature. Part of the rare "Herculean Subje...
About the Artist
Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio|Rosso Fiorentino · 1500–1565
Italian, Parma or Verona ca. 1500/1505–1565 Krakow (?)