This reproduction is based on the Lansdowne Hercules, a Roman statue that depicts the hero carrying a club over his left shoulder and holding a lion skin in his right hand. These objects help identify him, since Hercules was often portrayed with a club and the pelt of the Nemean Lion, which he killed in the first of his legendary twelve labors. The youthful figure is shown nude, representing the ideal form of beauty in the Classical world. Carved about CE 125, the image was inspired by a lost Greek statue of Hercules dating around the mid 300s BCE.
Found in 1790 near the ruins of the Villa of Hadrian at Tivoli outside Rome, this statue was one of numerous copies of Greek sculpture commissioned by the Roman emperor, who admired Greek culture. Shortly after its discovery, the sculptor Carlo Albacini (active 1780–1807) restored the fragmentary figure, replacing the missing lower left leg and parts of both arms. The statue is named for Lord Lansdowne, who purchased it in 1792 for his antiquities collection in London. The Lansdowne Hercules was one of J. Paul Getty’s most prized acquisitions.
- Material: Bonded Marble
- Dimensions: H: 7 x W: 3 x D: 2 inches
- Gift box included
- Item #: MRHERC
Source Object:
Title: Statue of Hercules (Lansdowne Herakles)
Artist/Maker: Unknown
Culture: Roman
Place: Roman Empire
Date: about 125 CE
Medium: Marble
Object Number: 70.AA.109
Dimensions: 193.5 × 77.5 × 73 cm, 385.5575 kg (76 3/16 × 30 1/2 × 28 3/4 inches)
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