Hercules, Two Satyrs, and a Woman, plate two from The Labors of Hercules

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

A painter at the court of Lorraine, Gabriel Salmon is best known today for his woodcuts of the mythological labors of Hercules. Salmon emphasized the violent action of this rarely depicted scene with the sweeping lines around the figure of the demigod. The woman reaches toward Hercules’ crotch, while one of the satyrs fondles her breast and the other raises his shield against Hercules’ swinging club. The satyrs’ impending doom is foreshadowed by the already-vanquished figure on the ground.

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