Hercules at rest, Carrara marble, Provence 18th century

The god Heracles, whom the Romans called Hercules, is represented resting leaning on
his club. He has just accomplished the first of the twelve labors which consisted of killing the lion of
Nemea. He is dressed in his remains which are tied around his shoulders and uses his mouth
of the lion as a headdress imitating a helmet.
His fixed gaze looks far away and suggests that he is preparing to face the next
trials entrusted by King Eurystheus.

Beautiful state of conservation; wear to the skin of the marble due to its exposure
exterior.

French school from the first part of the 18th century.

Dimensions:

Height: 168 cm; Width: 60cm

Provenance: Park of an important property in Provence.

Our opinion:

The park statue that we present required the purchase of a two-piece marble block.
meters in height, a material which was very expensive at the time.
The transport from Italy and the size of a life-size sculpture made this operation
even more expensive and reserved for the most luxurious French castles.
Indeed, the Provençal bourgeoisie was mainly content with terracotta sculptures.
made with local raw materials.
It is also very likely that our statue originally came from a large monument.
French history, as this type of work is rare in the provinces.
Even if our Hercules has a somewhat naive character, like all the statues of
park, it nonetheless remains a work of sculptor in its own right.
The creation is very accomplished with harmonious proportions and a very finish.
neat including the use of the trephine for the beard and hairstyle.
The iconography of our sculpture also reflects the great artistic knowledge of its
designer who was largely inspired by the bust of “Hercules Commode” for the implementation
place of the remains and contrapposto of the “Farnese Hercules” for the position.
Few of these large marble statues from the 18th century have reached us, our example has the merit of being in good condition and of presenting "the twelve labors of Hercules" which was one of the most popular subjects under the old regime.