Hercules thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64, The Wolfson Gallery

Hercules

Statuette
ca. 1500-1525 (made)
Artist/Maker
Camelio (after)
Place of origin
Venice

Hercules, the hero and god of Greek myth, was a symbol of strength. Here, he leans against his club and holds the golden apples he took from the garden of the Hesperides. Based on a classical marble, this lively reworking fits its new purpose as an intimate work to be handled.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Myths & Legends
Object type
Statuette
TitleHercules (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Cast bronze
Bronze
Casting
Brief description
Bronze statuette of Hercules holding the apples and leaning on his club, Italy (Venice), possibly by or after Camelio, about 1500-25
Physical description
Bronze statuette of Hercules holding the apples and leaning on his club, adapted from an antique statuette of the type of the Farnese Hercules; the figure stands on a triangular base with winged female busts, terminating in lion's paw feet
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.13cm
  • Width: 11.8cm
  • Depth: 10.6cm
  • Weight: 1.74kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Gallery label
STATUETTE of Hercules leaning on his club About 1500-25 Possibly by or after Vittore dei Gambelli, called Camelio (1460-1537) Hercules was a hero of classical mythology, renowned for his strength and courage. Statuettes were popular with collectors and offered sculptors the opportunity to perfect the male nude. Small bronzes were often copied or adapted from surviving large-scale antique marbles. This particular version is taken from a colossal statue at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Italy, Venice Bronze Museum no. 5420-1859(2008)
Historical context
Adapted from an antique statuette of the type of the Farnese Hercules from the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.
Subjects depicted
Apples
Hercules
Heracles and the Apples of the Hesperides
Summary
Hercules, the hero and god of Greek myth, was a symbol of strength. Here, he leans against his club and holds the golden apples he took from the garden of the Hesperides. Based on a classical marble, this lively reworking fits its new purpose as an intimate work to be handled.
Bibliographic references
  • Wainwright, Clive: Shopping for South Kensington. Fortnum and Henry Cole in Florence 1858-1859, in Journal of the History of Collections, II, No. 2, 1999, pp. 177, 184, n. 20.
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1859. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 44
  • A Descriptive Catalogue of the Bronzes of European Origin in the South Kensington Museum, London: 1876, p.18.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
5420-1859

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdAugust 27, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O102894/hercules-statuette-camelio/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest