Hercules and Antaeus
1510
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1510
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Hercules and Antaeus is a 1510 by Master of the Year 1515, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This print shows a muscular man lifting another struggling figure off the ground. The man on top has curly hair and a strained face, while the one below has a beard and looks trapped. Both are naked except for sandals, and the scene looks like a fight. The artist carved deep shadows to make the muscles pop, giving the bodies a 3D feel. This was a common trick in Renaissance art to show realism. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how this technique works in other art.
This anonymous Italian painter made dramatic, muscular scenes straight from ancient myths.
See the richer artist page
