The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Giant Cacus (1545): Art, History and Details

The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Giant Cacus (1545) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Hans Sebald Beham (German, 1500–1550).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

While Hercules was asleep, the fire-breathing giant Cacus stole some oxen that Hercules had been herding. Hercules tracked the animals to Cacus’s lair, where he slew the giant. Here, an ox watches as Cacus spews a blast of fire, and Hercules prepares to strike a fatal blow. 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.

Object facts

• Title: The Labors of Hercules: Hercules Killing the Giant Cacus
• Date: 1545
• Creator attribution: Hans Sebald Beham (German, 1500–1550)
• Culture: Germany
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1950.467

Collection credit

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.