Herkules und Telephos
1592
Hendrick Goltzius was the absolute rockstar of the engraving world in the late 16th century, and this piece shows off his famous 'swelling style'—just look at those bulging thigh muscles and defined abs that look like they're about to burst! While the title identifies the scene as Hercules with his son Telephos, the text on the pedestal reveals a juicy historical twist: it labels the figure as Emperor Commodus. Roman emperors loved an ego boost, and Commodus literally had statues made of himself as the ultimate strongman to project divine power. Goltzius used thousands of tiny, precise lines to turn cold marble into warm, breathing flesh, proving why he was considered the greatest printmaker of his time.
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- Engraving
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