Head of Heracles
Solid terracotta. 3rd century BCE.Height 9 cm. Inv. No. Х.1974.80.Saint Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum
Head of Heracles.
Solid terracotta. 3rd century BCE.
Height 9 cm.
Height 9 cm.
Inv. No. Х.1974.80.
Saint Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum
(Санкт-Петербург, Государственный Эрмитаж).
Origin:
Found in Khersonesos in 1974.
Description:
The hero’s head is turned to the left. The neck, face and head are covered with slip. The beard and hair are the colour of clay.
Above the forehead there are grooves for placing a wreath and some vestiges of ribbons remain at the nape of the neck. The deep-set eyes and half-open mouth give the face a dreamy expression although the effect of powerful and monumental forms is obtained by skilful use of chiaroscuro. The head of “Hercules resting” is of local manufacture, according to G.D. Belov. There are no traces of a mould. It is a head inspired by a Hellenistic model from the workshops of Smyrna. This head is similar to the Pergamon head of Heracles by Skopas.
Above the forehead there are grooves for placing a wreath and some vestiges of ribbons remain at the nape of the neck. The deep-set eyes and half-open mouth give the face a dreamy expression although the effect of powerful and monumental forms is obtained by skilful use of chiaroscuro. The head of “Hercules resting” is of local manufacture, according to G.D. Belov. There are no traces of a mould. It is a head inspired by a Hellenistic model from the workshops of Smyrna. This head is similar to the Pergamon head of Heracles by Skopas.
Literature:
Antičnaya koroplastika (Leningrad, 1976) no. 193 p. 51. G. D. Belov, Terrakottovaija golova Gerakla iz Chersonesa: Sovietskaja archeologija (1976) no. 4, p. 203—208. Kultura i iskusstvo Pričernomorja v antičnuju épochu. Vystavka iz sobranij museev Bulgarii, Rumynii i Sovetskovo sojuza. Katalog vystavki (Moscow, 1983) no. 242. Archeologija SSSR. Antičnye gosudarstva Severnogo Pričernomorja (Moscow, 1984) SP pl. 4. B. B. Piotrovskij — Tesori d’Eurasia — 2000 anni di Storia, in: 70 anni di Archeologia Sovietica (Milan, 1987) no. 170 p. 138.
Credits:
© 1993. Photo, text: Olympism in antiquity. Olympic Museum Lausanne. Bertelsmann UFA. Industria Gráfica S. A. Barcelona, 1993, p. 64 cat. no. 7.
© Photographic credits — M. Verhasselt (Brussels-Dilbeek).
© 1993 — Comité International Olympique.
© Photographic credits — M. Verhasselt (Brussels-Dilbeek).
© 1993 — Comité International Olympique.
Keywords: γλυπτική sculptura sculpture sculptural scultura skulptur greek greca greco greche griechische griechisches grecque grecquesё terracotta clay argilla terrakotta terrakotte ton terre cuite argile ελληνική μυθολογία mythologia graeca mythology mitologia mythologie ἡρακλῆς ηρακλής herakles heracles èracle eracle héraclès solid head of hercules ercole inv no х 1974 80 х.1974.80
