Statuette of Herakles

Description

Striding forward with his left foot, this nude figure turns his torso and raises his tightly bent right arm behind his head. Despite significant damage, the statuette conveys a naturalistic sense of form and movement rarely seen in early Greek art. Its most striking feature is its powerful physique, with sharply defined, bulging muscles. Formerly called an athlete and assumed to have held a javelin or discus, the figure likely depicts the hero Herakles, revered for his strength and often shown in this smiting pose, wielding a club. Though usually bearded in this period, this representation emphasizes his youthfulness, with an idealized face and carefully arranged hair.

Provenance

Ernest Ascher Collection; acquired by Jacques Chalmin in the early 1960s; sold by Jean-Luc Chalmin

Statuette of Herakles

[]

510–500 BCE

Accession Number

2000.6

Medium

bronze (solid cast)

Dimensions

Overall: 21.5 cm (8 7/16 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund