IX-C. Western European Representations of Hercules

IX-4 Hercules and boar

Stone plaque, made in Late Antiquity and now set into the wall of San Marco Cathedral in Venice. It shows Hercules bringing the Erymanthian boar to Eurythstheus.

Compare: Late 6th century BC Attic Black Figure table amphora: Erymanthian Boar.

IX-5 Hero, deer, and serpent

Stone relief carved during the Middle Ages and set into the wall fo St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. it shows a figure carrying a deer (Hercules had to capture the Ceryneian hind) and treading on a scaly monster.

Detail of Coronation robe embroidered with constellations. Inside the double-square frame a man with a weapon (club) in one hand and a cloth (lion skin) over the other advances toward a serpent coiled around an abbreviated tree. The letters explain that Hercules killed the serpent to get the golden apples.

IX-6 Hercules killing serpent

Coronation Robe ("Star Mantle") of Henry II, 11th century AD

IX-7 Hercules or Samson

Carved figure from Nicola Pisano's pulpit in the Pisa Baptistry, 1255-1260 AD

Columns support the pulpit. On each column, below the darker colored colonnetes around the pulpit proper, are standing figures. One of these was inspired by ancient representations of Hercules.

Figure by Nicola Pisano for a pulpit in the Baptistery in Pisa. Nude beardless man has a lion skin on one arm, touches a lion cub with the other.

IX-8 Hercules as Fortitude

Figure by Giovanni Pisano (son of Nicola Pisano - IX-7) made for a pulpit in the cathedral in Pisa. 1302-1310 AD.

Nude bearded man with a club and a lion skin. Acting as column support for the pulpit.

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