About this artwork
This is a highly finished study for a fresco mural of the same subject in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Hercules, the hero of Greek myth, is identified by his club, a lion’s hide, and the apple in his right hand. Though lifelike, the figure was not drawn from a live model but rather from statues available to the artist in Rome, especially an ancient Roman
sculpture of a reclining river god.
The blue paper creates a mid tone between the black and white chalks, granting Hercules a greater degree of volume and naturalism and dramatically enhancing Annibale Carracci’s fluid, masterful line.
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Status
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On loan to The Morgan Library and Museum for Pure Drawing: Seven Centuries of Art from the Gray Collection
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Annibale Carracci
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Title
- Study of Hercules Resting, with Separate Studies of His Head and Foot (recto); Rectangular grid design (verso)
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Origin
- Italy
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Date
- 1595–1597
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Medium
- Black chalk, heightened with white chalk, on blue laid paper
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Dimensions
- 259 × 395 mm
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Credit Line
- Gift of Richard and Mary L. Gray
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Reference Number
- 2019.838
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/202162/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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