Original engraving; Bartsch 18 (as Zoan Andrea); Hind V 25.17; Levenson-Oberhüber-Sheehan 83; D. Landau and S. Boorsch 86;
Splendid proof, inked in abundance, a feature that on the one hand highlights the plasticity of the two figures, on the other hand has dirtied some lines, irrelevant to the reading of the work, on the right and left, making this print particularly recognisable. Complete with the entire engraved part, a rare element in prints by Mantegna, in fact many of the Maestro's plate measurements -often cut within the copper print- have been deduced from the sum of data from different impressions. This is a particularly well-preserved print, another rare peculiarity in the work of the Italian Primitives, who mainly used paper that was as precious as it was free of glue, which limited its preservation.
The print, initially attributed to Zoan Andrea, is now ascribed to the First Engraver, so named by the scholar Suzanne Boorsch to emphasise the fidelity to Mantegna's engraving technique and remarkable skill. Already Hind had recognised in the Hercules and Antaeus a hand very close to that of the Maestro in prints such as the Struggle of the Sea Gods, a similarity found especially in the handling of the burin and in the capable and delicate tonal modulation. Moreover, the presence of the Hercules and Antheus among the plates in the house of Mantegna's son, Ludovico, in 1510, at the time of the inventory of his possessions, highlights the particular importance of this engraving, made on the verso of the Four Dancing Muses. The close relationship between the two works suggests their dating to around 1497.A date inferred from the relevance of the subject of the Muses to the invention of the Parnassus painted by the Master in 1497, a period anticipated by the realisation of robust and muscular figures, solidly inserted in space, like those of our protagonists.
As for the historical identity of the First Engraver, anonymous and highly gifted, the most recent documents seem to trace him back to the goldsmith and engraver Gian Marco Crivelli, who was employed as an engraver by Mantegna as early as 1475 and remained in close contact with the Maestro until his death, as evidenced by his presence at the drafting of the artist's will in 1506.
The print depicts the clash between the demigod Hercules and the giant Antaeus. According to the myth, the hero was sent by King Eurystheus, who had usurped his throne, to perform twelve legendary feats at the end of which he would be granted immortality.After completing ten of them, he was commissioned to steal the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, a wedding gift from Rhea to her son Zeus. During his search for the garden, he came across Antaeus, the invincible son of the primordial goddess Gaea (earth), thanks to whom he could recover his energy every time he came into contact with the ground. Using his superhuman strength and cunning, Hercules managed to lift him up and beat him without the giant touching the ground.