Hercules and Antaeus
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 9.3 × 6.6 cm (3 11/16 × 2 5/8 in.) sheet: 9.6 × 6.8 cm (3 3/4 × 2 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5844
Art Historical Context
Behold the dynamic engraving *Hercules and Antaeus* (1577), a masterful reproduction by Peter Maes after the renowned 16th-century German Heinrich Aldegrever This petite print captures the climactic moment from classical mythology when the hero Hercules defeats the giant Antaeus by lifting him aloft, severing his earth-born strength. Aldegrever, a key figure among the "Little Masters" of the Northern Renaissance, specialized in intricate small-scale engravings like this one, blending classical themes with the era's meticulous detail and moral symbolism. Crafted as an engraving on laid paper—m...