The Choice of Hercules (Carracci)
| The Choice of Hercules | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Annibale Carracci |
| Year | 1596 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 166 cm × 237 cm (65 in × 93 in) |
| Location | Capodimonte Gallery, Naples |
The Choice of Hercules is a painting by the
Carracci, who was in Rome from the late 1595 or early 1596, was commissioned this work by
A vigorous and plastic Hercules is depicted with two women flanking him, who represent the opposite destinies which life could reserve him: to his right Virtue is calling him to the hardest path leading to glory through hardship, while on your left, a woman with worldly pleasures, the easier path, is enticing him to vice.
Behind Hercules is a palm, which, through the leaves and the branches (a symbol of military victory and fame), hints to Hercules' future heroic life. At the top of the hardest path is Hercules reward, Pegasus.
Notes
- ^ "Ercole al bivio". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
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