Hercules

Piero della Francesca's Hercules presents this unusual secular subject in the fresco technique, possibly from a private palace in Arezzo or Sansepolcro. The depiction of Hercules, the classical hero par excellence, as a fresco subject in a domestic or civic space reflects the humanist program of relating classical virtue to contemporary identity. Piero's geometric approach to the figure gives the hero a monumental weight and calm authority quite different from the dramatic muscular energy typical of Renaissance Hercules imagery, the hero standing as an embodiment of rational virtue rather than heroic violence.

Despite its damaged state, the fresco reveals Piero's powerful sculptural modeling and luminous palette, with the hero's muscular form constructed through broad planes of light and shadow.