The Great Hercules
Artist
Hendrick Goltzius
(Dutch, 1558–1617)
Date1589
Mediumengraving on cream laid paper
Dimensions56.5 x 40.9 cm (plate and sheet), 59.9 x 44.2 cm (mount)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineSarah C. Garver Fund
Object number1999.1
Label TextGoltzius’s technique helped establish his fame and lasting influence. A childhood accident left his right palm badly scarred. Unable to open the hand fully, he learned to draw with his whole arm. By varying the pressure on his tool, the artist engraved serpentine lines that widen and taper along their length. Magnification shows the quality of these lines, and the dots between them that soften tone. Aside from delicately modeling form, the process also creates a secondary moire pattern. The effect is the perfect complement to the flamboyant elegance of Mannerism.Provenance(C. G. Boerner, Inc., New York, NY); 1999, purchased by the Worcester Art Museum.On View
Not on view
