Hercules en de Nemeïsche leeuw 1772 - 1773

Antoine Alexandre Joseph Cardon created this print of Hercules and the Nemean Lion sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts the classical myth of Hercules's first labor, a story through which ancient Greek culture explored ideas about heroism and civilization. Here, Hercules embodies the triumph of human strength and reason over brute animal force. Made during a period of revolution and social change in Europe, this image participates in a longer history of representing the hero as a figure of power and control. The print invites us to consider what it means to be civilised. Is it physical strength, moral virtue, or something else? As historians, we investigate the changing meanings of such symbols by looking at the context in which they were made and circulated. We can research the artist’s life, the print market of the time, and the classical sources that inspired the image to understand better its place in the world.