Cleveland Museum of Art

The Labors of Hercules: Hercules on his Pyre

Date

1548

Medium

engraving

Culture

Germany

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Driven insane by the shirt soaked in poisonous blood, Hercules builds a funeral pyre to cremate himself alive. He enlists a passing shepherd to light the pyre; Hercules rewards the shepherd with the gift of his weapons. Beham was one of several German printmakers referred to today as the “Little Masters.” They established their artistic prowess by engraving remarkably small prints, appealing to collectors fascinated with miniature objects and curiosities.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.