Farnese Hercules Biscuit From Antique

This elegant, finely modeled hard porcelain biscuit statuette represents the Farnese Hercules, after the emblematic antique preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Naples. The original work, a monumental marble sculpture found in Rome in 1546 in the Baths of Caracalla, is attributed to Glycon of Athens, after a lost bronze by Lysippos. The model enjoyed immense success during the Renaissance, becoming a canon of heroic strength and virile beauty in scholarly and artistic Europe. The present biscuit, executed with great anatomical precision, illustrates Hercules in his emblematic posture: leaning on his club draped in the skin of the Nemean lion, resting after the completion of his labors. The elegance of the modeling, the controlled muscular tension and the pensive attitude of the hero perfectly embody the ideals of Neoclassicism, the dominant movement at the end of the 18th century. The unglazed white porcelain accentuates the reference to antique marble, in a "purist" aesthetic prized by enlightened collectors of the time. The piece rests on a black marble base (posterior), highlighting the refined contrast between the materials. In very good overall condition. Similar biscuits can be found in the collections of the Musée National de Céramique in Sèvres and the Louvre, testifying to the enduring success of this model among antique lovers and major neoclassical collectors.