Not currently on view
In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of August 2026
FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG
Beham was one of several German printmakers referred to today as the “Little Masters.” They established their artistic prowess by engraving remarkably small prints, appealing to collectors fascinated with miniature objects and curiosities. Here, Beham has packed 12 larger-than-life stories of the mighty Hercules into tiny prints. The series includes three of the 12 labors Hercules performed as penance for slaying his children in a fit of madness: Strangling the Nemean Lion, Killing the Lernean Hydra, and Dragging Cerberus from the Underworld. The other scenes depict tales from his life and the events preceding his death. The son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena, Hercules was both man and god. His saga of moral and physical trials made him one of the most popular classical heroes in Renaissance art.
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The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Defeating the Centaurs
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Lernean Hydra
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Dragging Cerberus from the 
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Crushing Antaeus
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules on his Pyre
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Giant Cacus
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Crushing Antaeus
The Peasant Wedding or the Twelve Months: No. 9
Sebald Beham — Hercules with his club in center fighting a c
Etienne Delaune (French, 1518/19-c. 1583) — Combats and Triu
Sebald Beham — Hercules Raping Jole, from "The Labors of Her
Albrecht Altdorfer — The Triumph of the Sea-Gods
Etienne Delaune (French, 1518/19-c. 1583) — Combats and Triu
Etienne Delaune (French, 1518/19-c. 1583) — Combats and Triu
Etienne Delaune (French, 1518/19-c. 1583) — Combats and Triu
Enea Vico|Anonymous, Italian, 16th century|Battista Franco|P
Sebald Beham — Hercules Fighting Against the Trojans, from "
Heinrich Aldegrever (German, 1502–1555/61) — Hannibal Fighti
Sebald Beham — Combat Between Greeks and Trojans
Antonio Tempesta — Hercules and the Centaurs: Hercules holds