Hercules and the Hydra

Cleveland Museum of Art

Bronze sculpture of a muscular, nude male figure with short curly hair standing on a base with one leg on a serpent-like creature. The creature has multiple heads, one of which the man appears to have severed and holds up in his right hand. His left arm is bent at the elbow, and he grips an object, possibly a sword or club, near his waist. The man's facial features are contorted in a grimace; he appears to be straining. The background fades from dark at the top to light at the bottom. Title: Hercules and the Hydra. Artist: unknown.