Eracle e Anteo
1531
Hans Baldung, a student of Albrecht Dürer known for his dramatic and sometimes eerie subjects, captures the brutal climax of a mythological wrestling match here. Heracles, wearing his iconic lion skin, has figured out his opponent's secret: the giant Antaeus draws invincible strength from touching the earth. By lifting him high into the air, Heracles cuts off his power source. Notice the striking contrast—Heracles is robust and bearded, while Antaeus is rendered in a ghostly, almost corpse-like pale white, his mouth agape in a silent scream as the life is squeezed out of him.
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