Hercules and Antaeus 1852

Eugène Delacroix's "Hercules and Antaeus" (1852) is a pencil drawing depicting the Greek mythological battle between the hero Hercules and the giant Antaeus. Hercules is shown lifting Antaeus off the ground, depriving him of strength, as Antaeus was only strong as long as his feet touched the earth. A female figure witnesses the scene, perhaps representing a symbol of the strength of human will. The drawing is part of a larger series by Delacroix that explored themes of mythology and the human condition.