Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Hercules and the Hydra & Hercules and Antaeus, ca. 1478

The panels of Hercules and the hydra (left) and the Hercules and Antaeus (right) are unambiguous in their display of menace, power and masculine aggression. By cleverly using his strength in these struggles to the death, Hercules, the muscular, nude hero, overcomes both monster and tyrant. In the fight against Antaeus, son of Poseidon and the earth goddess Gaia, Hercules is shown squeezing the last breath out of his opponent and lifting him off the ground, thus taking away the source of his strength.

Hercules and the Hydra, tempera on panel, 17 cm x 12 cm, ca. 1478, artist: Antonio del Pollaiuolo; source: © Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, https://catalogo.uffizi.it/it/29/ricerca/detailiccd/1179944/, non-profit use only, https://www.uffizi.it/en/professional-services/wewef.