Hercules and Omphale, from Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst," probably the first edition of title, frontispiece and eleven plates

Although David Vinckboons made only three etchings himself his designs were the basis for more prints than any other Netherlandish artist in the early seventeen century. Among those were a set of book illustrations for Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst." The prints are by Pieter Serwouters, who also made more than two dozen independent prints after Vinckboons. The multi-volume work was a translation and adaptation of "Ars Amorata" (The Art of Love) by the first century Roman poet Ovid. Some of the illustrations depict scenes from classical mythology while others appear to be generic examples of romantic situations or events.

Hercules, the son of Jupiter and a mortal woman, was one of the greatest heroes in classical mythology. As a punishment for killing a man in a fit of madness, he was sentenced to serve as a slave to Queen Omphale of Lydia. Here he is shown sitting in the middle of a group of women spinning wool into thread, which at the time would have been regarded as a humiliating task for a Roman hero. At the right is Omphale, seated on a platform, her right arm extended as if directing him to work faster.