The Farnese Hercules, front view [plate 2]
1638
![The Farnese Hercules, front view [plate 2] by François Perrier](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/the-farnese-hercules-front-view-plate-2-nga-212460.webp)
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 22.23 × 13.02 cm (8 3/4 × 5 1/8 in.) sheet: 33.66 × 22.23 cm (13 1/4 × 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of David H. McDonnell
Accession Number
2017.126.8
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *The Farnese Hercules, front view [plate 2]*, an exquisite 1638 etching by French François Perrier. This print captures the iconic ancient Roman marble statue of Hercules—discovered in 1546 amid the ruins of Rome's Baths of Caracalla—depicting the weary hero leaning on his club, golden apples in hand after his mythic labors. Perrier, a Baroque-era painter and etcher who worked in Rome and Paris, specialized in reproductive prints that brought classical antiquities to a wider audience. Created during the 17th century's fervent revival of Greco-Roman art, this work reflects ...