Hercules and the Nemean Lion
c. 1615-1622 National Museum of Art of Romania
About this artwork
This powerful depiction of Hercules wrestling the Nemean Lion is an oil on canvas painting by the Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens. It is currently held in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania.
Did you know?
According to Greek mythology, the Nemean Lion had impenetrable fur, making it impossible for Hercules to kill it with weapons; he was forced to wrestle the beast and strangle it to death. Rubens captures the raw, physical exertion of this legendary encounter, emphasizing the hero's muscularity and the ferocious nature of the struggle through dramatic chiaroscuro.
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Hercules and the Nemean Lion
Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1615-1622
