Etruscan production
5th–4th century BC
Polychrome terracotta
The terracotta statue depicting Hercules, known as Hercle to the Etruscans, is almost life-size and still bears traces of the colours with which it was originally painted. It is a fine example of the decorative elements that frequently adorned temples and palaces. Heraklēs, son of Zeus and the mortal Alkmēnē, is a mythological figure endowed with superhuman strength. The demigod was the hero of numerous feats, and in the first of his twelve labours he succeeded in defeating the fearsome lion that terrorised the plain of Nemea. Here he is easily recognisable by the lion’s skin, the leontè, which covers his head and drapes over his shoulders. The mane is rendered with particular precision, with stylised, flame-like locks that reveal the influence of Greek statuary.
