Statuette of Hercules

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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.

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