(jazz music)
(jazz music)

Dr. Zucker: We're in Naples at the
Dr. Zucker: We're in Naples at the

Archaeological Museum, looking at one
Archaeological Museum, looking at one

of the most famous sculptures from all of antiquity.
of the most famous sculptures from all of antiquity.

Dr. Harris: It was discovered in the Renaissance
Dr. Harris: It was discovered in the Renaissance

during archaeological excavations in Rome
during archaeological excavations in Rome

of the Baths of Caracalla.
of the Baths of Caracalla.

Dr. Zucker: This is the so-called Farnese Hercules
Dr. Zucker: This is the so-called Farnese Hercules

and it gets that name because it was excavated
and it gets that name because it was excavated

by the Farnese family.
by the Farnese family.

They had been looking for building materials to take
They had been looking for building materials to take

from ancient sites to build a new palace,
from ancient sites to build a new palace,

but what they found in the Baths
but what they found in the Baths

were an extraordinary array of ancient sculptures.
were an extraordinary array of ancient sculptures.

Dr. Harris: We can reconstruct the original site
Dr. Harris: We can reconstruct the original site

for this colossal sculpture.
for this colossal sculpture.

There were mosaic floors,
There were mosaic floors,

walls made of different colored marble.
walls made of different colored marble.

It was an incredibly luxurious bathing complex,
It was an incredibly luxurious bathing complex,

used by thousands of Romans every day
used by thousands of Romans every day

and it was decorated with hundreds of sculptures,
and it was decorated with hundreds of sculptures,

many of them colossal, like this one.
many of them colossal, like this one.

Dr. Zucker: These were really complex structures,
Dr. Zucker: These were really complex structures,

these bathing facilities.
these bathing facilities.

There were the baths themselves.
There were the baths themselves.

Some were cold, some were hot.
Some were cold, some were hot.

There were rooms for transition from one temperature
There were rooms for transition from one temperature

to another.
to another.

There were places where one could exercise
There were places where one could exercise

and this sculpture makes perfect sense
and this sculpture makes perfect sense

in this environment.
in this environment.

This is a place where you would go to work out,
This is a place where you would go to work out,

where you would go to exercise.
where you would go to exercise.

You could look at this wildly muscular figure
You could look at this wildly muscular figure

and have a bit of a goal.
and have a bit of a goal.

Dr. Harris: Many of the sculptures that were found
Dr. Harris: Many of the sculptures that were found

in the Baths of Caracalla were not the typical, ideal,
in the Baths of Caracalla were not the typical, ideal,

athletic copies of Greek sculptures that we think of,
athletic copies of Greek sculptures that we think of,

but they were especially bulky, like the Hercules
but they were especially bulky, like the Hercules

that we see here.
that we see here.

Dr. Zucker: We know that some successful
Dr. Zucker: We know that some successful

Greek athletes would sometimes dedicate sculptures
Greek athletes would sometimes dedicate sculptures

to Hercules in a way thanking him for their successes.
to Hercules in a way thanking him for their successes.

Dr. Harris: He was a symbol of strength and heroism.
Dr. Harris: He was a symbol of strength and heroism.

Dr. Zucker: You can see that here, but there's also irony
Dr. Zucker: You can see that here, but there's also irony

in Lysippos' treatment, because even as we see
in Lysippos' treatment, because even as we see

this wildly powerful figure, this incredible musculature,
this wildly powerful figure, this incredible musculature,

we also see a figure that is exhausted.
we also see a figure that is exhausted.

Dr. Harris: He really is.
Dr. Harris: He really is.

He leans almost his full weight on a club
He leans almost his full weight on a club

that's propped up under his arm, so you're right,
that's propped up under his arm, so you're right,

there is an irony between the brute strength
there is an irony between the brute strength

of his articulated muscles and the languorousness
of his articulated muscles and the languorousness

of his pose.
of his pose.

Dr. Zucker: Look at the way in which that abdomen
Dr. Zucker: Look at the way in which that abdomen

is articulated.
is articulated.

Look at the strength of his right shoulder,
Look at the strength of his right shoulder,

of his right upper arm.
of his right upper arm.

It's really massive.
It's really massive.

Dr. Harris: He thrusts his right hip out,
Dr. Harris: He thrusts his right hip out,

so that he can fully lean his weight on his left side.
so that he can fully lean his weight on his left side.

Dr. Zucker: There is this marvelous contrapposto,
Dr. Zucker: There is this marvelous contrapposto,

although the legs seem to be somewhat reversed,
although the legs seem to be somewhat reversed,

but I love the way his torso slouches over as he leans
but I love the way his torso slouches over as he leans

and there's this overemphasized turn of that torso.
and there's this overemphasized turn of that torso.

Dr. Harris: But the club doesn't look
Dr. Harris: But the club doesn't look

like a very secure support.
like a very secure support.

Dr. Zucker: No, the whole thing is slightly precarious.
Dr. Zucker: No, the whole thing is slightly precarious.

Dr. Harris: It seems as if Lysippos and Glycon,
Dr. Harris: It seems as if Lysippos and Glycon,

who copied Lysippos' sculpture and there are more
who copied Lysippos' sculpture and there are more

than 80 copies of sculptures of the weary Hercules
than 80 copies of sculptures of the weary Hercules

that have survived, but it does seem as though
that have survived, but it does seem as though

he's calling our attention to Hercules' hands
he's calling our attention to Hercules' hands

and Hercules is famous as a hero who became a god
and Hercules is famous as a hero who became a god

and who these amazing exploits,
and who these amazing exploits,

the 12 labors of Hercules.
the 12 labors of Hercules.

I'm noticing the open left hand and the way
I'm noticing the open left hand and the way

that the right hand is brought behind his back,
that the right hand is brought behind his back,

so we really want to move around the sculpture
so we really want to move around the sculpture

to see what's in his right hand.
to see what's in his right hand.

Dr. Zucker: That's right.
Dr. Zucker: That's right.

The artist has set us up so that we absolutely want
The artist has set us up so that we absolutely want

to walk around.
to walk around.

The left hand is not original, that's been lost.
The left hand is not original, that's been lost.

So what we're seeing is a plaster reconstruction,
So what we're seeing is a plaster reconstruction,

but the right hand is original and if you walk
but the right hand is original and if you walk

around the sculpture, you actually see that he's holding
around the sculpture, you actually see that he's holding

the apples that he would have gotten from one
the apples that he would have gotten from one

of those labors, the labor the apples of the Hesperides.
of those labors, the labor the apples of the Hesperides.

This is all part of the legend of Heracles.
This is all part of the legend of Heracles.

Heracles was the original Greek figure
Heracles was the original Greek figure

and the Romans would call him Hercules.
and the Romans would call him Hercules.

What happened was this brute of a man, in a fit,
What happened was this brute of a man, in a fit,

killed his children.
killed his children.

The gods of Mount Olympus punished him
The gods of Mount Olympus punished him

by putting this man, Heracles, who was the son of a god
by putting this man, Heracles, who was the son of a god

and of a human, therefore a hero.
and of a human, therefore a hero.

They made him subservient to a king and he had
They made him subservient to a king and he had

to perform whatever deeds this king asked of him
to perform whatever deeds this king asked of him

for 12 years.
for 12 years.

This was his punishment.
This was his punishment.

The king asked of him tremendously difficult tasks.
The king asked of him tremendously difficult tasks.

The first of which was the killing of the Nemean lion.
The first of which was the killing of the Nemean lion.

If you look carefully, just draped over the club,
If you look carefully, just draped over the club,

you can see the pelt of that lion that he had slayed.
you can see the pelt of that lion that he had slayed.

This sculpture is actually referring
This sculpture is actually referring

to two of those labors.
to two of those labors.

Dr. Harris: One of the things that seems a little strange
Dr. Harris: One of the things that seems a little strange

as we look up at him is how small his head is.
as we look up at him is how small his head is.

This is something that Lysippos, the Greek sculptor -
This is something that Lysippos, the Greek sculptor -

Dr. Zucker: The original sculptor -
Dr. Zucker: The original sculptor -

Dr. Harris: That this was based on, was known for,
Dr. Harris: That this was based on, was known for,

was changing the cannon of proportions that existed
was changing the cannon of proportions that existed

during the Classical period in Greece in the fifth century
during the Classical period in Greece in the fifth century

where there was more of a sense of harmony
where there was more of a sense of harmony

and balance between the parts of the body.
and balance between the parts of the body.

Lysippos created a new set of proportions,
Lysippos created a new set of proportions,

where the figure was taller, the head was smaller,
where the figure was taller, the head was smaller,

and they gave the figure a new sense of elegance.
and they gave the figure a new sense of elegance.

Dr. Zucker: Elegance and also of height.
Dr. Zucker: Elegance and also of height.

Here, it's married, of course, with this increased bulk.
Here, it's married, of course, with this increased bulk.

The other thing that Lysippos is so well known for,
The other thing that Lysippos is so well known for,

which you mentioned earlier, is the way in which
which you mentioned earlier, is the way in which

he begins to break out of the more restricted space
he begins to break out of the more restricted space

that Classical figures had generally occupied,
that Classical figures had generally occupied,

so that by extending, for instance, that left hand,
so that by extending, for instance, that left hand,

by moving that right hand behind his back,
by moving that right hand behind his back,

he really does invite us to understand this sculpture
he really does invite us to understand this sculpture

in the round, as opposed to seeing it as a frontal object.
in the round, as opposed to seeing it as a frontal object.

The thing that strikes me most, though,
The thing that strikes me most, though,

about this sculpture, is the way in which
about this sculpture, is the way in which

we can understand his feeling of exhaustion
we can understand his feeling of exhaustion

and the way that's contrasted
and the way that's contrasted

against the potential energy and power of that body.
against the potential energy and power of that body.

Dr. Harris: The things that we're talking about,
Dr. Harris: The things that we're talking about,

the new cannon of proportions, the way that we're asked
the new cannon of proportions, the way that we're asked

to move around the sculpture, not only do I want
to move around the sculpture, not only do I want

to walk behind it to see what's in his right hand,
to walk behind it to see what's in his right hand,

but I also want to walk to the place
but I also want to walk to the place

where he is looking down to, so we can look up
where he is looking down to, so we can look up

at his face and see the expression,
at his face and see the expression,

the sense of empathy we have for him.
the sense of empathy we have for him.

These are all things that are typical
These are all things that are typical

of the Hellenistic period of ancient Greek art
of the Hellenistic period of ancient Greek art

that this copy was based on.
that this copy was based on.

Dr. Zucker: Clearly, something that the
Dr. Zucker: Clearly, something that the

Romans really appreciated.
Romans really appreciated.

(jazz music)
(jazz music)