The Death Of Hercules

48.5 x 32 cm (19.1 x 12.6 inches).
The Death Of Hercules
This spectacular baroque engraving is from Bernard Picart's Le Temple Des Muses.
The engraving was made in 1733, is from the first edition and is an original antique. It has captions in French, English, German, and Dutch.
It is in very good condition for its age.
In Greek myth Heracles (Hercules) was a divine hero famed for strength and adventures. Having defeated Achelous, Heracles marries Deianeira. Suspecting he loves another, she gives Hercules a cloak soaked in deadly Hydra blood. Knowing he would die, Hercules builds his own funeral pyre. In this superb engraving by Bernard Picart, Hercules burns, yet his immortal side travels by chariot to join the gods on the heavenly peak of Mount Olympus. The ornate border features all many things from his adventures.