Hercules Fighting the Trojans by Sebald Beham

Hercules Fighting the Trojans 1545

drawing, print, engraving

pencil drawn

drawing

print

figuration

11_renaissance

pencil drawing

history-painting

engraving

"Hercules Fighting the Trojans" is a 1545 engraving by German Renaissance artist Sebald Beham. The print depicts the legendary hero Hercules, astride a horse, charging into a group of Trojan warriors, also mounted. Beham masterfully uses detailed lines to create a sense of movement and drama in the scene. The image is filled with action, as Hercules lunges at the Trojans, who fight back with determination. The intricate detail of the horses, armor, and weapons highlights Beham's skilled technique in rendering a dynamic narrative.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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The legendary strongman Hercules was born to the god Zeus and a mortal named Alcmena. This union so incensed Zeus’s wife Hera that she made life almost unbearable for the hero. Her ire resulted in him undertaking a series of tasks, known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules. Sebald Beham challenged his audience’s knowledge of the classical text, engraving three actual labors and nine scenes of Hercules’ exploits before and after his labors. After completing his tasks, Hercules heads off to do battle in Troy. Beham learned from Albrecht Dürer’s horse studies, which Beham published under his own name.