Hercules and Cacus
1588
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1588
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows Hercules fighting a giant named Cacus. Hercules is about to strike the giant with his club. The giant is blowing fire at Hercules. The scene is intense and dramatic. Hercules had just rolled away a boulder, freeing some stolen cows. This story is from ancient mythology. The artist used a vivid color combination to depict the scene. To learn more about this style of dramatic lighting, look up the technique: chiaroscuro.
