Hercules Killing Cacus
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.251
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, Heinrich Aldegrever's *Hercules Killing Cacus* (1550) captivates with its dynamic depiction of a classic mythological showdown. Aldegrever, a prominent German engraver and goldsmith from the Northern Renaissance, belonged to the "Little Masters"—artists celebrated for their virtuoso small-scale prints. This work, classified as a print (likely an engraving), exemplifies the era's technical precision, where fine lines conveyed drama and detail on a modest plate. The scene draws from ancient Roman lore, as told by Virgil in the *Aeneid*: Her...
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...