Statue of Hercules with the Lionskin (Leontè) and the Apples of the Hesperides: Pastiche

One hundred and twelve fragments, ancient, modern and antique reworked, compose this statue of Hercules. The work is not the result of a skillful restoration, but a true artist's creation, an exemplary case. Base element for the realization of the statue is the ancient torso that shows its dependency on Polykleitan models. The head, also ancient, has perhaps undergone a reworking in the eyes and on the forehead and is probably pertinent to the torso. The whole in its final appearance returns the image of Hercules with the lion’s skin, the apples of the Hesperides in the left hand, and the club. The Hercules Torlonia, which overall has a discordant effect for the disproportions, is attributable to a prototype of the fourth century BC which derives from the type of the Albertini Hercules.

Inventory: MT 25

Material: White marble

Technique: Work sculpted through the use of: chisels (also square-tipped and toothed) rasps

Dating: Modern age 

Origin: Giustiniani Collection