One of the most famous marble sculptures from antiquity is Hercules at Rest (Ercole in Riposo or Ercole Farnese) now displayed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy
The Farnese Collection’s oversized nude marble Hercules at Rest (Ercole in Riposo) is one of the best-known sculptures from antiquity. This remarkably authentic Roman marble copy of a Greek bronze original is one of the highlights to see when visiting the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli — MANN). Many further versions from antiquity and the modern era exist but are generally artistically less accomplished.
Farnese Hercules at Rest Marble Sculpture
The monumental Hercules at Rest (Ercole in Riposo), also known simply as the Farnese Hercules (Ercole Farnese), is a nude marble sculpture from antiquity standing 3.17 m (10.5 ft) tall. It was produced around AD216 in Rome and survived damaged but fairly complete — the plaster left forearm is the only notable exception.
This oversized marble sculpture currently guards the entrance to the Farnese Gems while facing the equally impressive Farnese Bull (Toro Farnese) in the Naples National Archaeological Museum.
Hercules at Rest depicts the superhero from Greek mythology while resting from one of the seemingly futile tasks set for him by the King of Eurystheus. The hero’s sagging shoulders and head offset the dynamic pose of his powerful legs.
Hercules leans so far to his left that he would have fallen over if not propped up under his left armpit by his club and the lionskin taken from the Nemean lion. In his right hand, held behind his back, Hercules carries the three golden apples stolen from Hesperides.
Several versions of the labors of Hercules myth exist (ancient Greek and modern reinterpretations). Generally, slaying the Nemean lion is the first deed while stealing the three golden apples of the Hesperides is the 11th of the 12 impossible tasks.
Hercules at Rest in Rome
The Athenian copyist Glykon, probably working in Rome, produced this marble Ercole in Riposo around 216 AD for the public Baths of Caracalla in Rome. It was based on a Greek bronze by Lysippos from the second half of the fourth century BC. (The Crusaders melted down the original bronze during the sacking of Constantinople in 1205.)
The baths closed in the 6th century but the buildings were used until destroyed by an earthquake in 847. Hercules at Rest and many other sculptures including the Farnese Bull were only rediscovered in 1546 and form the core of the magnificent Farnese antiquities collection.
A similar work — the so-called Latin Hercules, now in the Royal Palace at Caserta — was discovered at the same time. For two centuries, both statues of Hercules were displayed prominently in the portico of the courtyard of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.
Farnese Hercules in the Naples Archaeological Museum
The Spanish royal family was the main beneficiary of the Farnese family becoming extinct in 1731. To the irritation of the Romans, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon moved the entire Farnese art collection from Rome to Naples in 1734. Moving Hercules at Rest was particularly galling as visiting the work was considered one of the top must-see attractions of 18th-century Rome.
When Hercules was rediscovered, the hero’s lower legs were missing (and in some retellings, his head was found far away in a well). Guglielmo della Porta, a student of Michelangelo, made a new pair of calves allowing him to be displayed standing tall. The original legs were later discovered and donated to the King of Naples by Prince Borghese, whose art collection in the Borghese Galery is still an art highlight of Rome.
However, the newer, slender Renaissance calves were long preferred, and only towards the late 18th century were the original legs reintegrated. Goethe later wrote in his Italienische Reise travel journal, “It is now impossible to understand how those of Della Porta were considered good for so long a time”. (The extra pair of legs are displayed nearby in the same gallery of the Naples National Archaeological Museum.)
Other Versions of Hercules at Rest
At least 200 versions of Hercules at Rest in various sizes are known from antiquity while more modern copies are also popular. A variety of different names are also used such as Weary Hercules, Hercules and the Apples, or naming it after the location.
Of the authentic Hercules at Rest sculptures from antiquity, the monumental Farnese Hercules in Naples is arguably in the best condition and artistically the most accomplished. The Medicis had two Carrera marble versions: the 151-cm high “Farnese Hercules” displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the 293-cm tall Weary Hercules in the Ammantati Courtyard of the Pitti Palace.
The Louvre Museum in Paris displays a rare smaller late classical Greek bronze version. (Only the timely outbreak of revolution in Naples prevented Napoleon from carting off the Farnese Ercole and other sculptures from Naples to France.)
Since its rediscovery, the Farnese Hercules has inspired many further sculptures, paintings, drawings, and derivative artworks. The largest copy is the colossal 8.5-m tall copper “Kasseler Herkules” produced by Johann Jacob Anthoni in the early 18th century for Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel in Germany. An interesting modern version is Herakles in Ithaka I, 1989, created from chrome car bumpers by Jason Seley and now displayed on the campus of Cornell University in New York, USA.
→ See also Visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples for more on the other Farnese sculptures (including the Farnese Bull / Torment of Dirce) and the best artworks, mosaics, and frescoes from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
For More on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples:
- Save with the Campania Arte Card on Sightseeing Ticket and Transportation — in 2024 only available as a mobile phone app — buy the Campania Arte Card online.
- Pompeii Excavations Archaeological Site: Top Tips on Visiting Pompeii, Buying Tickets and Booking Tours & Cheap Transportation to Pompeii. Note: New Pompeii Ticket system in 2024!
- Herculaneum Archaeological Site (Ercolano): Tips on Buying Tickets and When to Visit & Cheap Transportation to Herculaneum (Note in 2024: trains have changed — many guidebooks still have old information!)
- Day Trip from Rome: How to Visit Pompeii by Train from Rome
- Visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples – home to the Farnese sculptures (including Hercules at Rest and the Farnese Bull) and the best artworks, mosaics, and frescoes from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Book Tours to Pompeii, Herculaneum, or both at Get Your Guide.
- Buy Italian train tickets in English at Trainline — however, often not possible for the commuter train to Ercolano or Pompeii — easy to buy at the station or use the Campania Arte Card.