A sixteenth-century woodcut depicting the mythological struggle between Hercules and the Nemean Lion, attributed to the Venetian printmaker Nicolò Boldrini.

This woodcut depicts the first labour of Hercules, the struggle against the Nemean Lion. The print is attributed to the Venetian woodcutter Nicolò Boldrini, who frequently translated the designs of Titian and other masters into the medium of the woodblock. The inscription 'RAPHAEL VR IN' suggests the composition derives from a design by Raphael, reflecting the common practice of the period where printmakers reproduced the works of celebrated painters to circulate their visual ideas among a wider audience.

The composition places the figures within a dense, wooded environment. Hercules is shown in a dynamic pose, grappling with the beast. The surrounding trees and rocky terrain are rendered with vigorous, hatched lines that define the volume of the forms and the texture of the bark and foliage. Boldrini employs a system of parallel and cross-hatching to create shadow and depth, a technique characteristic of sixteenth-century Italian printmaking. The lion, though fierce, is depicted with a degree of stylisation that aligns with the aesthetic conventions of the time.

This work provides an example of the collaborative nature of Renaissance print production. The printmaker acts as an interpreter of the original design, adapting the fluid lines of a drawing or painting into the rigid, relief-based requirements of the woodblock. The result is a graphic image that balances the narrative intensity of the myth with the technical constraints of the medium. The print captures the physical exertion of the hero, while the background elements provide a sense of place, grounding the mythological encounter in a tangible, albeit constructed, natural world. Collectors of Renaissance prints will appreciate the clarity of the line work and the historical context of this collaborative artistic process.