Hercules and Omphale

A muscular, bearded man sits on a rock at left, holding a red distaff, while a woman in a flowing red gown stands at right beside a staff. Sheep and a cow gather in the grassy landscape, under a gold-leaf arched ground. The composition is a long curved lunette, with the figures set against dark foliage.

Look closer: A small ram lies at the lower left among the sheep, partly hidden by the grass.

Artist

Pinturicchio

Date

ca. 1509

Medium

Fresco, transferred to canvas and attached to wood panels

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 2001 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1914