The Labors of Hercules
Medium
Tempera on wood, embossed and gilt ornament
Dimensions
Overall 18 3/4 x 69 1/2 in. (47.6 x 176.5 cm); each medallion, diameter 15 in. (38.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edward Fowles, 1971
Accession Number
1971.115.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Labors of Hercules a captivating panel painting from the Metropolitan Museum of, attributed to an anonymous Italian artist from Florence or Siena. This elongated work, measuring nearly six feet wide, features a series of ten 15-inch-diameter medallions depicting the legendary hero's twelve mythic feats—slaying the Nemean Lion, battling centaurs, and more—adorned with lively putti (cherubic figures) amid embossed and gilt borders. Likely created in the late 15th or early 16th century, it evokes the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity, transforming ancient Greek and Roma...