Minneapolis Institute of Art

Hercules and Cacus

Hendrick Goltzius

Date

1588

Medium

Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from three blocks in black, pale yellow, and olive green

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The story of Hercules and Cacus is a spinoff from the tenth of the hero’s famous Twelve Labors: rustling the cattle of the monster Geryon. Having stolen the cattle, Hercules was driving them through Italy, when he decided to spend the night on the Aventine Hill (one of the seven hills upon which Rome would later rise). In a cavern beneath the hill lived Cacus, a menacing, fire-breathing giant. As Hercules slept, Caucus made off with some of the cattle. When Hercules discovered that they were in Cacus’s cave, he went in and slew him with his club. We identify the main players by their attributes: Hercules wears a lion skin as a cape, and Cacus belches fire. Hendrick Goltzius used the chiaroscuro printmaking technique to cast an eerie light on the action. Three wooden blocks were carved with different but interdependent designs and then printed in superimposed layers of different colors. Netherlands, Europe

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