Labors of Hercules Photos

In Greek mythology the hero Hercules (aka Heracles) was given 12 labors, which he completed. His story became artistic representations of achieving the impossible. His tasks were
1) Slay Nemean lion.
2) Slay nine-headed Lernaean Hydra.
3) Capture Ceryneian Hind.
4) Capture Erymanthian Boar.
5) Clean Augean stables in a single day.
6) Slay Stymphalian birds.
7) Capture Cretan Bull.
8) Steal Mares of Diomedes.
9) Obtain girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazon.
10) Obtain cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon.
11) Steal three of the golden apples of the Hesperides.
12) Capture & bring back Cerberus.

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Marble portrait head of Heracles (c200 BCE) from Pergamon at Pergamon Museum. Berlin, Germany.	Silver bowl (1stC CE) with Bust of Heracles found with Hildesheim silver treasure with at Altes Museum. Berlin, Germany.	Ceramic stove in guests living room (late 19thC) shows scenes of Evangelists above & Hercules below at Coburg Castle. Coburg, Germany.	Salt cellar (1542) enamel paint on copper by Pierre Reymond of Limoges depicting the 12 labors of Hercules at Angers Fine Arts Museum. Angers, France.

Hercules Fountain with club & lion in Römerhöfchen. Frankfurt am Main, Germany.	Detail of lions at base of Hercules Fountain in Römerhöfchen. Frankfurt am Main, Germany.	Hercules Fountain (c1600) representing Hercules slaying the hydra with three Naiads below by Adriaen de Vries & cast by Wolfgang Neidhardt on Maximilianstraße. Augsburg, Germany.	Maximilianstraße buildings & Sts. Ulrich & Afra Basilica seen from Hercules Fountain. Augsburg, Germany.

Hercules slaying Nemean lion replica carving in Stirling Castle Palace gallery. Stirling, Scotland.	Slaying the Nemean lion from Labors of Hercules tempura (2nd Quarter 15thC) from Florence at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY.	Hercules as Victor against Lernaean Hydra & Nemean Lion ivory carving (before 1695) by Christoph Maucher from Denmark at Bode Museum. Berlin, Germany.	Roman marble statue of Hercules (100-200 CE) at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.

Element of Jupiter column with statue of Hercules (2nd to 3rdC) at National Museum of History & Art. Luxembourg, Luxembourg.	Roman cast glass plaque with satyr carrying body of lion (1stC) at Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.	Fountain bronze face with lion headdress (19thC) by Antoine Laurent Dantan on Arles Obelisk pedestal. Arles, France.	Bronze sculpture of Roman wearing lion skin carrying child at Henry E. Huntington Library. San Marino, CA.

Silver centerpiece of imperial city of Augsburg: Hercules fights hydra (c1700) by goldsmith Albrecht Biller from Augsburg at Maximilian Museum. Augsburg, Germany.	Hercules Slaying the Lernaean Hydra (c1530s or later) from Mantua, Italy at Legion of Honor Museum. San Francisco, CA.	Hercules & Hydra painting (1915) by Franz von Stuck at Villa Stuck Museum. Munich, Germany.	Hercules & serpents replica carving in Stirling Castle Palace gallery. Stirling, Scotland.

Hercules & the Lernaean Hydra painting (1875-6) by Gustave Moreau at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.	Bronze Hercules & Hydra (1921-30) by Mathias Gasteiger outside St. Louis Art Museum. St Louis, MO.	Detail of Hydra head in Hercules' fist (1921-30) by Mathias Gasteiger outside St. Louis Art Museum. St Louis, MO.	Roman sarcophagus with Labors of Hercules carving (150-160) at Uffizi Gallery. Florence, Italy.

Legend of Hercules carved wood friezes (1505-20) from castle Velez Blanco in Spain at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France.	Slaying the Hydra detail of labors of Hercules frieze (1505-20) from castle Velez Blanco in Spain at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France.	Atlas & Hercules detail of labors of Hercules frieze (1505-20) from castle Velez Blanco in Spain at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France.	Detail of labors of Hercules frieze (1505-20) from castle Velez Blanco in Spain at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France.

Detail of labors of Hercules frieze (1505-20) from castle Velez Blanco in Spain at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France.	Greek terracotta altar Arula (4thC BCE) from Gela, Sicily shows combat between Heracles & Triton at Louvre Museum. Paris, France.	Hercules sculpture (1937) by Albert Pommier beside southern wing of Palais de Chaillot. Paris, France.	Hercules sculpture (1937) by Albert Pommier beside southern wing of Palais de Chaillot. Paris, France.

Hercules Slaying Diomedes painting (17thC) by Charles Le Brun at Angers Fine Arts Museum. Angers, France.	Roman floor mosaic with a drunk Hercules at Gallo Roman Museum. Lyon, France.	Gold panel with story of Hercules aiming an arrow at a centaur that has kidnapped his wife Deineira in Gold Room at Marble House. Newport, RI.	Roman-era copy of statue of Hercules & Centaur Nessus after Attic Greek original (c300 BCE) at Uffizi Gallery. Florence, Italy.

Combating the centaurs from Labors of Hercules tempura (2nd Quarter 15thC) from Florence at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY.	Defeating the giant Antaeus from Labors of Hercules tempura (2nd Quarter 15thC) from Florence at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY.	Neoclassical bronze relief of helmeted Athena over carved marble relief of Hercules & two cherubs in Gallery Hall at The Elms. Newport, RI.	Hercules Fountain at The Elms. Newport, RI.

Satyr on Hercules Fountain at The Elms. Newport, RI.	Winged horse on Hercules Fountain at The Elms. Newport, RI.	Hercules with his club replica carving in Stirling Castle Palace gallery. Stirling, Scotland.	Restored painting of Hercules at Troy on cupola at Hopetoun House. Queensferry, Scotland.

Font d'Hèrcules (1884) by Antoni Gaudí at Pedralbes Park. Barcelona, Spain.	Detail of Gaudí's metalwork dragon for Font d'Hèrcules at Pedralbes Park. Barcelona, Spain.	Detail of Gaudí's metalwork dragon for Font d'Hèrcules at Pedralbes Park. Barcelona, Spain.	Apotheosis of Hercules ceiling painting by François Lemoyne in Hercules Room at Versailles Palace. Versailles, France.

Details of Apotheosis of Hercules ceiling painting by François Lemoyne in Hercules Room at Versailles Palace. Versailles, France.	Details of Apotheosis of Hercules ceiling painting by François Lemoyne in Hercules Room at Versailles Palace. Versailles, France.	Apotheosis of Hercules ceiling painting (1673-80) by Jacob de Wet at Kellie Castle. Pittenweem, Scotland.	Ceramic plate with Labor of Hercules opening Panama Canal after design by Perham Wilhelm Nahl, a souvenir of Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) in private collection. San Francisco, CA.


See Also:	Lions in Art