Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
30-4-2015 11:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2015 1:55 PM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Hercules is one of the most commonly portrayed classical figures in modern culture, with a plethora of movies and television shows depicting his adventures; this popularity is not a modern fad, however, for representations of Hercules have been a constant throughout history. During his career, the Baroque artist Luca Giordano (1634-1705) produced three different versions of Hercules' demise: the Colby Museum of Art's "Hercules on the Funeral Pyre" (1665-1670), "Hercules on the Pyre" (1687-1700) currently in El Escorial, and the Prado Museum's "Hercules on the Pyre" (~1697). This project in progress focuses on the different ways Giordano portrays Hercules' destiny after death in each painting, and explores which Ancient Greek and Roman sources may have influenced each of Giordano's depictions. I argue that the portrayal of Hercules' death in Colby's collection is reliant on the conclusion of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus" and Ovid's description of the apotheosis of Hercules (Met.IX.355-406), which uphold the belief that Hercules' soul was split between Olympus and the Underworld. El Escorial's "Hercules on the Pyre" (1687-1700) is a borderline peaceful portrayal of Hercules' death, a view supported by the closing scene of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus". Finally, the Prado's "Hercules on the Funeral Pyre" (~1697) leaves Hercules' destiny after death ambiguous, reflecting the uncertainty in Ovid's treatment of the death of Hercules (Met.IX.238-313), as well as the opening scenes of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus". Each version creates a different atmosphere surrounding the same scene, which prompts an interesting conversation about the way in which different ancient texts influenced an artist centuries after their creation and the contrasting traditions of Hercules' death present within these texts.
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Classics Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Humanities
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
1620
Included in
Poetry and Paintings: Luca Giordano's Three Depictions of Hercules' Death
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Hercules is one of the most commonly portrayed classical figures in modern culture, with a plethora of movies and television shows depicting his adventures; this popularity is not a modern fad, however, for representations of Hercules have been a constant throughout history. During his career, the Baroque artist Luca Giordano (1634-1705) produced three different versions of Hercules' demise: the Colby Museum of Art's "Hercules on the Funeral Pyre" (1665-1670), "Hercules on the Pyre" (1687-1700) currently in El Escorial, and the Prado Museum's "Hercules on the Pyre" (~1697). This project in progress focuses on the different ways Giordano portrays Hercules' destiny after death in each painting, and explores which Ancient Greek and Roman sources may have influenced each of Giordano's depictions. I argue that the portrayal of Hercules' death in Colby's collection is reliant on the conclusion of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus" and Ovid's description of the apotheosis of Hercules (Met.IX.355-406), which uphold the belief that Hercules' soul was split between Olympus and the Underworld. El Escorial's "Hercules on the Pyre" (1687-1700) is a borderline peaceful portrayal of Hercules' death, a view supported by the closing scene of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus". Finally, the Prado's "Hercules on the Funeral Pyre" (~1697) leaves Hercules' destiny after death ambiguous, reflecting the uncertainty in Ovid's treatment of the death of Hercules (Met.IX.238-313), as well as the opening scenes of Seneca's "Hercules Oetaeus". Each version creates a different atmosphere surrounding the same scene, which prompts an interesting conversation about the way in which different ancient texts influenced an artist centuries after their creation and the contrasting traditions of Hercules' death present within these texts.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/100