The Fight with the Nemean Lion, from The Labors of Hercules 1550

Heinrich Aldegrever made this engraving of ‘The Fight with the Nemean Lion’ in Germany in 1550, as part of a series on the Labors of Hercules. The story of Hercules was well known in the 16th century. Here, Aldegrever depicts Hercules’ struggle against the Nemean lion. The lion had impenetrable skin, so Hercules defeats it by strangulation. The visual codes are drawn from classical mythology, filtered through a Northern Renaissance sensibility. The legend of Hercules was often used in the 16th century to give a moral message. Hercules embodied the virtue of overcoming adversity through strength and courage. The image is an example of the printing techniques that were emerging at the time, and the cultural interest in classical themes. Looking at Aldegrever’s prints alongside other works, and considering the publishing industry of the time, can help us understand the social and cultural role this image would have played in its own time.