Hercules and Cacus

For centuries these three paintings of life-size nudes, the goddess Minerva, the god Mercury and the hero Hercules, have been an inseparable trio. And yet they were not all painted in the same year. Goltzius painted the Minerva and Mercury in 1611; the Hercules and Cacus followed in 1613, and may well have been commissioned by the Haarlem lawyer and town councillor Johan Colterman (c. 1565-1616), who probably had his 22-year-old son Johan Colterman Junior model for the young, powerful figure of Hercules. This painting is not quite the same size as the two earlier works and its original frame was also slightly different. The earliest mention of the paintings hanging together dates from 1671, when they belonged to the daughter and son-in-law of Colterman Junior. The three paintings together exemplify the humanist educational ideal. Theory (Mercury) and practice (Minerva) lead to skill and virtue. Virtue is personified in Hercules, who defeats the evil giant Cacus.

Hercules and Cacus
One of the labours of Hercules was to kill the fire-breathing giant Cacus. Cacus had stolen the cattle that Hercules was guarding. Hercules, identified by his lion skin and club, stands over the body of Cacus. He symbolizes the triumph of virtue over evil.