The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Defeating the Centaurs
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
Labeled ARUMNAE HERCVLIS, meaning “Labors of Hercules,” this is the title page of Beham’s suite of 12 tiny prints depicting larger-than-life stories of the mighty Hercules. The battle scene may refer to a story in which Hercules slays the centaur Eurytion, bridegroom to a young girl who was previously Hercules’s lover. The centaur could also allude to Nessus, a centaur who cunningly plots Hercules’s undoing, depicted later in the series. 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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionSimilar works
Hercules with his club in center fighting a centaur, other men fighting centaurs to left and right, from "The Labors of Hercules"
The Labors of Hercules
The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Defeating the Centaurs
Hercules and the Centaurs, from Labors of Hercules
Hercules in combat with centaurs
Hercules in combat with centaurs