HERCULES AND ANTAEUS

On his way to obtain the apples of Hesperides, one of his 12 labors,Herculeswas challenged by Antaeus, the son of Gaia andNeptune, to a fight. As the son of the earth goddess, Antaeus' strength increased each time Hercules threw him to the ground. Having discovered the giant's secret, Hercules lifted Antaeus and crushed him.Antonio del Pollaiuolodepicted the scene twice. His earliest rendition is the painting of c. 1460 (Florence, Uffizi), among the first large-scale mythological renderings of the Renaissance. The second is a sculpture in bronze (1470s; Florence, Museo Nazionale del Bargello) that elaborates further on the violent movements and Antaeus' agony as he is defeated by Hercules.