# Ep. 59: The Pollaiuolo Brothers

An episode of [The Italian Renaissance Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1612265937), 26 May 2025, 25 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1947899/episodes/17219717-ep-59-the-pollaiuolo-brothers.mp3

The Court of Lorenzo the Magnificent Part 5: Antonio and Piero Pollaiuolo Among the many artists who earned the attention of the Magnificent, the Pollaiuolo brothers left behind an artistic legacy closely tied with Medicean propaganda. This episode explores the role of the Pallaiuolo brothers in the development of Florentine Renaissance art, specifically through the works they completed for the Medici Palace: The Labors of Hercules. Later reappropriated, this episode also dives into how Hercules is used as a Florentine political symbol and is adaptable as both a pro-Medici and an anti-Medici symbol, similar to function of the biblical heroes David and Judith. Works Discussed Antonio Pallaiuolo, Hercules and the Hydra, ca. 1475 https://www.uffizi.it/opere/pollaiolo-ercole-idra Antonio Pallaiuolo, Hercules and Antaeus, ca. 1475 https://www.uffizi.it/opere/pollaiolo-ercole-anteo Antonio Pallaiuolo, Hercules and Antaeus, ca. 1475, bronze Antonio https://www.wga.hu/html_m/p/pollaiol/antonio/sculptur/hercul2.html Support/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcast The Florentine Renaissance Course Support the show

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