The Great Hercules

Hendrik Goltzius

National Gallery of Art

This print shows a muscular man standing, his body facing us, with his legs in a wide stance and his head slightly turned to the left. He has pale skin, a short, curly beard, a thick, curled mustache, and long, curly hair partially obscured by the head and mane of a lion skin that he wears as a hood. He is holding a long, knotted club on his shoulder, and in his other hand he holds a curved, horn-like object. The man is nude except for the lion skin, which trails down his back like a cloak. The background features hilly terrain with rocks and small trees, and more people can be seen in the distance on the left and right, engaged in various activities, including a man wrestling a bull and three women sitting together. The sky has soft clouds. There are several lines of text below the print.