Hercules wurgt de Nemeïsche leeuw 1563

Cornelis Cort made this engraving of Hercules wrestling the Nemean lion in the late 16th century. Here, Hercules' domination of the natural world could symbolize the triumph of civilization over primal chaos. Images of Hercules were common in Northern European art at this time. Northern European artists looked to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration, but transformed classical themes according to their own cultural values. Consider the humanist movement of the time, with its emphasis on human potential, and the growing power of European states through exploration and colonization. Hercules came to be a figure for moral virtue, and for strength employed in the service of justice. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where this print is housed, has a rich collection of such Northern European prints, and we can learn a great deal about the period by comparing them and studying the history of the institutions that preserved them. After all, art and history are always embedded in their social and institutional contexts.