Hercules and the Hydra

Antonio del Pollaiuolo's Hercules and the Hydra, painted around 1475 and now in the Uffizi, Florence, is one of a series of small panels depicting the Labors of Hercules. Pollaiuolo was celebrated for his command of the human figure in action—Vasari praised his understanding of anatomy acquired through dissection. The dynamic, twisting figure of Hercules battling the multi-headed serpent demonstrates the explosive energy that made Pollaiuolo a pioneer of the action figure in Renaissance art.

Pollaiuolo's mastery of anatomical action is evident in the tensed, dynamic figure of Hercules, with muscles precisely rendered in violent motion, using the small panel format to concentrate the explosive energy of the combat.