Artwork
Hercules Carrying Off the Cattle of Geryon
Hercules Carrying Off the Cattle of Geryon is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Gabriel Salmon. It dates from 1528 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Gabriel Salmon’s woodcut, dated around 1528, presents the mythic episode of Hercules seizing the cattle of Geryon. Executed on laid paper, the print captures the hero in motion, his muscular form centered as he drags the beasts away. The composition balances figure and landscape, using stark contrasts to emphasize the narrative’s dramatic tension.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates the third labor of Hercules, in which he must capture the prized cattle guarded by the three‑headed giant Geryon. By depicting Hercules gripping a club and a rope attached to the animals, the image underscores his strength and determination, while the twisted tree in the background hints at the remote, hostile terrain of the mythic island.
Technique & Style
Salmon employed the woodcut process, carving the design into a block of wood and printing it onto laid paper. Bold, decisive lines define the figures, while cross‑hatching creates tonal variation and a sense of volume. The graphic quality of the medium lends the composition a crisp, high‑contrast appearance characteristic of early 16th‑century printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1528, the print belongs to a period when mythological subjects were popular in Northern European engraving. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work is attributed to Salmon, an artist active in the Germanic regions, and it survives in several museum collections that document the spread of Renaissance iconography through printed media.
Artist & collection
