Hercules and Cacus, Hendrik Goltzius
For centuries these three paintings of life-size nudes, the goddess Minerva, the god Mercury and the hero Hercules, have been an inseparable trio.
Hercules and Cacus
One of the labours of Hercules was to kill the fire-breathing giant Cacus. Cacus had stolen the cattle that Hercules was guarding. Hercules, identified by his lion skin and club, stands over the body of Cacus. He symbolizes the triumph of virtue over evil.
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