Hercules and Anteus 1460

Antonio del Pollaiolo rendered this scene of Hercules and Anteus in paint; the kind of painting of his era would have involved grinding and mixing pigments by hand. The painting depicts a mythic moment when Hercules overpowers Anteus, a giant who gains strength from contact with the earth. Pollaiolo masterfully uses paint to convey the tension and strain of their struggle. Notice how the figures' muscles are meticulously defined, creating a sense of realism and physical exertion. The rough texture of the paint adds to the raw, visceral quality of the scene. Pollaiolo's painting skills also extend to the depiction of the landscape, painted using knowledge of the properties of oil paint to render color and gradients. All these techniques and traditions are from the fine arts, but as a process, mixing paint from pigment is also rooted in craft. Ultimately, Pollaiolo's work reminds us that all art is deeply rooted in material practices and social contexts, blurring the lines between high art and craft.