Mezzotint of a nude man raising a club against a winged harpy at right, while two women watch beside a doorway inscribed Janus.

Hercules Slaying the Harpies Before the Temple of Janus

A muscular nude man with a raised club strikes at a winged, bird-bodied creature with a human face, a harpy, crouched in foliage at right. Two women in classical dress watch from the left beside a doorway inscribed with the name Janus, and the mezzotint's dense tonal contrast gives the scene drama.

Artist: Abraham Bloteling (mentioned on object)
Date: 1678
Medium
Source: Rijksmuseum
Size: 3013 × 4000 px

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Public domain · Rijksmuseum marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1678.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Rijksmuseum, image license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Greek and Roman Myths Stories of the Old Testament Rome and Ancient Greece Virtues and Allegories 17th century 1670s 1678 engraving mezzotint allegory nude figure black and white print classical mythology doorway winged creature harpy hercules

Hercules Slaying the Harpies Before the Temple of Janus

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