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The large Hercules panels were created by Cranach the Younger on behalf of Elector Moritz for the Dresden Residenzschloss. The two similar compositions show the attack of the "pygmies" in great detail. These small mythical creatures assault the sleeping Hercules with a wide variety of weapons without really hurting him. In the second picture, Hercules has awakened and puts the "pygmies" to flight. The actual political statement, however, was that it would be better not to fight Hercules – here the symbol of the ruling monarch.