Young Hercules Killing the Snakes
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 × 1 in. (2.6 × 2.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.53.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this miniature marvel: *Young Hercules Killing the Snakes*, a delicate engraving by Albrecht Altdfer, one of the pioneering masters of the German Renaissance. Captured on a sheet just 1 × 1 inch (2.6 × 2.5 cm), it depicts the infant Hercules—son of Zeus—strangling the serpents sent by the jealous goddess Hera in a fit of rage. This iconic episode from classical mythology symbolizes divine strength and heroism from the cradle, a theme that captivated Renaissance artists rediscovering ancient tales. Altdorfer, a key figure in the Danube School, was renowned for his intricate prints and i...
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...