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Statuette of Hercules

A work made of bronze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of bronze.

Date:

Mid–late 1st century

Artist:

Roman

About this artwork

The weary hero Hercules stands at rest after completing his Eleventh Labor: stealing three golden apples from a tree guarded by nymphs known as the Hesperides. Here, he holds the apples behind his back. Originally his left arm was supported by his club, which was cast separately and is now missing. This statuette is a copy of the lost masterpiece of Herakles by the Greek sculptor Lysippos, which became one of the definitive images of Hercules in classical antiquity and into the Renaissance in the 15th century.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Roman

Title

Statuette of Hercules

Place

Roman Empire (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Copy 50 CE–90 CE

Medium

Bronze

Dimensions

22 × 11.4 × 8.6 cm (8 11/16 × 4 1/2 × 3 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund

Reference Number

1978.308

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/52764/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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