Hercules and the Nemean Lion, 16th century. Whereas the ancient sculpture of Hercules nearby may have served as a sacred offering, this Renaissance plaquette and statue were collected and appreciated for the sake of art. After strangling the Nemean lion, Hercules kept its pelt; the hero often wears it in depictions of other legends. Ancient Greek coins likely provided the model for this particular composition, in which Hercules lifts the lion off the ground as it claws at his torso and leg.