The combat between Herakles (Hercules) and the Nemean lion, the first of his twelve labours, is seen in black figure on this krater. Attributed to the Antimenes Painter, the depiction captures the tension of the fight between the Greek hero and the supposedly invulnerable animal. After his victory, Herakles skinned the wild beast and inherited its strength and ferocity along with the pelt. This is a recurring theme in Greek art, sometimes interpreted as the triumph of civilisation over the wilderness embodied by the lion.