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HOME :
Classical Antiquities :
Classical Bronzes : Roman Bronze Statuette of Hercules
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Roman Bronze Statuette of Hercules - FZ.280
Origin: Antioch, Syria
Circa: 100
AD
to 300
AD
Dimensions:
3.875" (9.8cm) high
Catalogue: V8
Collection: Classical Antiquities
Medium: Bronze
Location: UAE
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| Description |
In the classical world, the hero Hercules (called
Herakles by the Greeks) was one of the most
popular of all mythical figures. Tales of his
adventures and exploits were favorite themes for
artists and storytellers alike. This magnificent
statuette, offered as a votive, depicts Hercules in
his most characteristic pose. He is shown as a
man of robust health holding his club in one
hand and a drinking cup in the other. Hercules is
draped in the skin of the Nemean lion, the first
of his famous twelve labors. The cult of Hercules
was especially popular in the late Roman Empire,
when the god became associated with the
person of the emperor as a metaphor for
strength and order. Though not large, this
splendid work radiates the power of sculpture on
a much grander scale.
Heracles, the ultimate symbol of virility, of
strength, of masculine dedication stands here in
grand repose. His weight is hefted over his club,
and across his back is stretched the pelt of the
Nemean lion. His jaw is set in calm and firm
repose, framed beneath the gaping mouth of the
lion. The man who held the sky upon his
shoulders, and wrestled the greatest beasts the
human imagination has ever conceived of is a
glorious image to behold in this masterpiece of
sculpture. The artist meticulously crafted every
muscle, and every tendon of his small body to
create an imposingly glorious form on such a
small piece of metal. Throughout history, the
worship of strength, the virtue of athleticism, has
played an enormous role in the shaping of
societies. As we pack ourselves into stadiums
and huddle around our television screens, we are
paying homage to the rippling bronze form
portrayed in this piece. To see, in such clean line
and pure form the expression of physical beauty
fills the heart with wonder and awe. This
Hercules is an incomparable treasure to one who
feels the admiration of the artist, and the
common joy of physical expression, transmuted
across two thousand years through this piece.
- (FZ.280)
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