The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Strangling the Nemean Lion
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection
Accession Number
1950.469
Tags
male
About this artwork
Hercules uses his bare hands to strangle the lion that terrorized the people of Nemea. The beast was invulnerable to his weapons, which Hercules propped against the nearby tree. In art, Hercules often appears wearing the pelt of the Nemean lion, an identifying symbol that recalls this legend and that characterizes the hero’s strength and fearlessness. Beham was one of several German printmakers referred to today as the “Little Masters.” They established their artistic prowess by engraving remar...