Hercules Carrying the Two Columns of Gaza

Heinrich Aldegrever

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a muscular man carrying two large columns over his shoulders. He is striding forward in a dynamic pose, with his right leg bent. The man's head is turned slightly towards the viewer, while his gaze is focused ahead. He has rugged facial features, a prominent nose, a beard, curly hair, and is dressed in minimal clothing with a fur or skin draped over his body. He is barefoot. In the background, there is another figure tending to an animal on the ground, a ship in the distance on the sea, and more standing columns in a rocky terrain with vegetation.