Farnese Hercules
modeled ca. 1576; cast 17th century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 9 × 4 1/4 × 3 1/4 in. (22.9 × 10.8 × 8.3 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.1462
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Farnese Hercules*, captivating bronze sculpture modeled around 1576 by Pietro Barga, a Flor artist renowned for his exquisite small-scale reproductions of classical antiquities. Cast in the 17th, this diminutive yet powerful figure—standing just 9 inches tall—captures the iconic pose of the weary hero resting on his club after his labors, epitomizing the Renaissance fascination with ancient Greek and Roman ideals of heroism and the male nude. Originating from the vibrant artistic hub of Florence, this work reflects the era's revival of classical sculpture through innovative bronze...
About the Artist
Pietro da Barga · 1574–1588
**Pietro da Barga: The Medici's Bronze Master of Classical Reductions** Pietro Simoni da Barga, an Italian sculptor active in Florence from 1574 to 1588, emerged from the Tuscan town of Barga to become a favored artisan of Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici, who later ascended as Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany. Employed specifically to craft small-scale bronze copies of renowned ancient sculpture...