The Great Hercules, or "Knollenman",

1589

This enormous engraving has long been known as the Knollenman (bulbous man) because of the bizarre musculature that demonstrates Goltzius’s mannered graphic style at its most extreme. Resplendent in the artist’s control of swelling and tapering lines, the engraving presents a triumphant Hercules clutching his club, wearing a lion’s pelt, and surrounded by scenes that recount his heroic labors. The defi ant stance and superhuman physique of this remarkable figure have led scholars to speculate that Goltzius intended this Hercules to represent the growing strength of the Dutch Republic in its struggle for independence from Spanish rule during the Eighty Years War.