Losse fragmenten van prenten van de grote Hercules 1589 - 1596

These are eight paper fragments, remnants of prints featuring the mythological hero Hercules, made by an anonymous artist. What remains are ghostly imprints of text and scorched edges, each piece a silent testament to a story of destruction. Hercules, celebrated for his strength and courage, becomes a figure literally reduced to fragments. The damage incurred by the prints speaks of vulnerability and loss, disrupting the traditional narrative of masculine heroism. We might reflect on what has been erased and what the implications are for the stories we tell ourselves. The anonymity of the artist further emphasizes this sense of loss, mirroring the fragmented state of the prints themselves. The raw emotional power of the work lies in its ability to evoke themes of resilience and the persistence of memory, even in the face of annihilation.