Statuette of Herakles
Unknown Artist
510–500 BCE
Medium
bronze (solid cast)
Dimensions
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Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
2000.6
About this artwork
Striding forward with his left foot, this nude figure turns his torso and raises his tightly bent right arm behind his head. Despite significant damage, the statuette conveys a naturalistic sense of form and movement rarely seen in early Greek art. Its most striking feature is its powerful physique, with sharply defined, bulging muscles. Formerly called an athlete and assumed to have held a javelin or discus, the figure likely depicts the hero Herakles, revered for his strength and often shown i...