Italy, Rome, Early Imperial period / c. 30 BCE–20 CE
Hercules
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Hercules as sculpture (Italy, Rome, Early Imperial period · c. 30 BCE–20 CE).
Hercules is the Roman name for the classical hero known in Greek as Herakles.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze with silver and copper inlays.
The museum's collection notes: This bronze statuette is a nude figure of the hero Hercules. He stands in a contrapposto pose, with the majority of his weight on one leg. Over his left arm, Hercules holds the skin of the Nemean Lion, having slayed the beast as part of his Twelve Labors and now carrying the pelt as a trophy. Although now mostly lost, Hercules once held his signature wooden club in his right hand. Roman artists often portrayed Hercules as middle-aged, as though greater maturity would increase his power and virility.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHerculesOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.