The Farnese Hercules

Resource added
Marble statue of a muscular, bearded man, Hercules, standing in a contrapposto pose. He leans tiredly on a club draped with a lion skin. His body shows exaggerated musculature, and he gazes downward with a weary expression.
Hercules rests after retrieving the golden apples, his powerful body contrasted by visible exhaustion, a rare glimpse of vulnerability in the legendary hero.

Full description

Roman copy marble statue from 3rd century C.E. 10.5 ft. (320.04 cm)

Hercules in a moment of exhaustion, leaning heavily on his club after completing one of his most difficult labors, the retrieval of the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. Though his body is incredibly muscular and powerful, his posture tells a different story, his head is bowed, his shoulders are slumped, and he appears emotionally and physically drained. Behind his back, almost hidden from view, he holds the apples in his right hand, signaling that the task is done, but not without great effort.

Comments

Log in to view and add comments.

Annotations

No one has annotated a text with this resource yet.

Download image “The Farnese Hercules”
  • type
    Image
  • created on
  • file format
    jpeg
  • file size
    147 kB
  • creator
    Glykon of Athens (Roman sculptor, copy after an original by Lysippos)
  • restrictions
    None
  • rights holder
    Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples
  • rights territory
    ITA