Hercules and the Hydra (1634) was painted by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664). The Lernaean Hydra was a serpentine water monster from Greek mythology, and if you cut off one of his heads, three new ones would grow back. This painting shows the second of twelve labors of Hercules, where he elicits the help of his nephew to kill the Hydra by scorching each stump after decapitating a head, such that the new heads could not grow back. The serpent was actually created by the godde