The Farnese Hercules
Preserved but no longer current.
Glykon's copy of the famous statue of Lysippus, the Greek sculptor in the time of Alexander the Great It represents the hero leaning on his club, with one hand on his back, as if he had just got possession of the apple of the Hesperides. It is now at the Museo Nazionale, Naples.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Farnese Hercules” mean?
Glykon's copy of the famous statue of Lysippus, the Greek sculptor in the time of Alexander the Great It represents the hero leaning on his club, with one hand on his back, as if he had just got possession of the apple of the Hesperides. It is now at the Museo Nazionale, Naples.
Is “The Farnese Hercules” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.