the bearded demi-god modelled twice life-size with head inclined to sinester and raised on a waisted socle,

A marble version of this bust is available at £550 + VAT. Hercules (Greek - Herakles) was a popular demi-god figure renowned for his athletic prowess and heroic deeds including the completion of his twelve labours. This model dates from the early Hellenistic period and was to attract a wide spectrum of copies throughout 3rd Century (B.C) Greece and later in Rome. The Naples figure, it is thought, was discovered c.1550 at the Baths of Caracalla (although there are conflicting reports of the head being found in a well in Trastevere). It resided at the Farnese Palace until the late 1780s when it was moved to Naples. The sheer scale of the original, (3.17m) it has been suggested, did lead to the copies being less than precise. A Roman version can be seen in the British museum.