Oil on panel

The present composition is characteristic of the Haarlem mannerism because of the fluted musculature of the figures. It stems from an image invented by his undoubtedly most influential representative, Hendrick Goltzius ’(1558–1617).

The monumental figure of Hercules with his club, divides the picture in two halves, as well as the modeling the light and shadow and the two vanishing points are directly from Goltzius' Chiaroscuro woodcut: "Hercules and Cacus from 1588 (a nice print is in Art Institute of Chicago, Inv.No. 1930.795)."