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Fine art

Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra

Gustave Moreau

1875–1876 · Oil on canvas · Art Institute of Chicago

Size2:3 ratio

Will it fit? See it to scale above your sofa, bed or mantel

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

📦 Free shipping on every order, arriving in 4–9 business days with production included. Express ($14.90) at checkout arrives in 4–6 business days.

Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra

Jupiter and Semele

Orpheus (Moreau)

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Free shipping worldwide · arrives in 4–9 business days

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: Gustave Moreau (1826–1898)
Year: 1875–1876
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 179.3 × 154 cm
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Movement: Symbolism

Hercules, young and almost naked under a lion-skin headdress, stands at left with his weapons while a many-headed serpent rears up from a gorge littered with the pale bodies of its earlier victims. Brown cliffs close in on both sides, and a small red sun sets over the sea between them. Moreau exhibited the painting at the Paris Salon of 1876. The Art Institute of Chicago notes that he made studies for every detail, even sketching live snakes at the Paris zoo, and that the hero may stand for France after its defeat by Prussia in 1870–71.

This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

Earth browns, dark rock and one small red sunset make this a brooding picture for a study, library or dimly lit hallway. Hang it near Böcklin's Isle of the Dead at 24×36 in a black frame.

Style, size & framing detail

Style: Symbolism painting
Era: 19th century (1875–1876)
Orientation: Portrait
Mood: grand
Rooms: hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, dining room
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. We'd hang this one at 24×36. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; dark wood warms it.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Restored in-house from the original painting — cleaned and colour-trued at museum resolution • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; every size also available framed • Framed option: wood frame in black or dark wood, 12 mm wide and 22 mm deep, with a plexiglass front and no mat; the print is mounted inside and the frame's outside measures the listed size • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Printed after you order at the facility nearest you, then shipped. Standard delivery is free and takes 4–9 business days from order to door in the US, UK and EU (up to 10 elsewhere); Express takes 4–6 business days. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The image fills the print at the painting's own proportions; nothing is trimmed to fit a frame.

Is Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra in the public domain?

Yes. Gustave Moreau (1826–1898) died more than 70 years ago and the work was made and first published more than 95 years ago, so the painting itself is public domain in the US and Europe. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by Art Institute of Chicago.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; every size is also offered framed in black or dark wood, with plexiglass and no mat. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra painted, and in what medium?

Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra dates from 1875–1876 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 179.3 × 154 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

Across a three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 is the size that reads as one statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pair. For Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra we'd choose 24×36.

About this design

Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra (Gustave Moreau) — Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra · Gustave Moreau · 1875–1876. This is a fine-art reproduction of a public-domain masterwork, shown whole and uncropped on a gallery ground, printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Every size is offered unframed or framed in black or dark wood. Part of the Madten Fine Art Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in 4–9 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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