10 - Hercules and Antaeus, 17th century, red chalk on paper, 300 x 365 mm

Hercules and Antaeus, 17th century, red chalk on paper, 300 x 365 mm The drawing depicts Hercules in the act of lifting Antaeus, the giant son of Gaia, who, according to myth, drew his strength from contact with the earth. The female figure lying at the feet of the two protagonists can be identified as Gaia, the personification of the Earth and mother of the giant, who is unable to come to his aid as Hercules lifts him off the ground.The composition, characterized by the tightly intertwined figures and the vigorous rendering of their anatomy, appears to be part of the figurative tradition of French artists active in Rome during the seventeenth century, a tradition deeply influenced by the study of antiquity and engagement with the leading figures of contemporary Roman painting.The ancient inscription on the reverse, now only partially legible, also attests to a previous attribution or identification of the sheet by collectors.