The Weary Hercules statue type is one of my favorites to paint and sketch so it was fairly easy to recognize at the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. The Weary Hercules is a trend of statues during the Hellenistic and Roman periods that are copies of a statue done by the famous sculptor Lysippo in the mid-4th century BCE. Lysippo’s original statue would depict the Greek hero Hercules tiredly leaning down on his club after one of his Twelve Labors, still holding the apples of Hesperides behind his back. Draped over his club is the skin of Nimean Lion and the first of Hercules’ Twelve Labors. The Weary Hercules types would typically be found in gymnasiums or in baths and were reproduced by both Greek and Roman artists long after Lysippo died. I’d like to think they were placed in baths as a visual representation of what it feels like to soak in water after a long day. 

The most famous and complete copy of Lysippo’s bronze scupture is the Roman Farnese Hercules which was found in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome with the original bronze statue having been lost. The Farnese Hercules is impressive at almost 11 ft. tall with a heavy exaggeration to the figure’s musculature. The Cypriot Hercules was found in Salamis at a gymnasium and dates to the 2nd century AD, making it a contemporary of the Farnese Hercules. This particular Cypriot Hercules was a great deal more tarnished than the Farnese Hercules with it missing the lower half of its body and its arms, and it is a greatly less exaggerated being thinner and less detailed. Despite its roughed-up condition, I appreciate the forlorn and melancholy expression on the Cypriot Hercules. The Farnese Hercules is impressive and, more importantly, complete, but the Cypriot Hercules has a more thoughtful and worn expression. The Cypriot Hercules also appears more weary, both physically and emotionally, which I appreciate more than the Farnese version.

I wasn’t expecting to see it so needless to say I was stoked that day. I hope to one day see the Farnese Hercules in person, and I happy to have a comparison to make

audrey