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White Carrara Marble Sculpture of Hercules Italian 20th Century

after 1900

About the Item

an important and impressive white marble sculpture of Hercules as torso. The figure standing in contrapposto position wearing on the left shoulder a rest of a drapery with a sculpted lion of head as symbol of Hercules. Probably carved in the central of Italy, Tuscany of Rome in the first half of the 20th century this impressive sculpture belong to the observer the typical and traditional accent of the classical and traditional school with significants elements of Ellenistic and Roman school. Standing on a squared marble base in contrapposto position on two iron pins; Contrapposto is an Italian term that means "counterpoise". It is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot, so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs in the axial plane. First appearing in Ancient Greece in the early 5th century BCE, contrapposto is considered a crucial development in the history of Ancient Greek art (and, by extension, Western art), as it marks the first time in Western art that the human body is used to express a psychological disposition. The style was further developed and popularized by sculptors in the Hellenistic and Imperial Roman periods, fell out of use in the Middle Ages, and was later revived during the Renaissance. Michelangelo's statue of David, one of the most iconic sculptures in the world, is a famous example of contrapposto. The head of the lion symbol of the hero of Roman mythology, found by the goddess Minerva who brought him to Juno, claiming that he was an orphaned child abandoned in the woods and in need of nourishment. Juno nursed Hercules at her breast until he bit her nipple, at which point she pushed him away, spilling her milk into the night sky and forming the Milky Way. She then returned the child to Minerva and told her to care for the child herself. By nursing the child at her breast, the goddess inadvertently imbued him with further strength and power.
  • Creation Year:
    after 1900
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 41.34 in (105 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 9.85 in (25 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Roma, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1350115650672

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