The Farnese Hercules, three-quarter view turned to left [plate 3]

François Perrier

1638

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Mythology

About this work

This is a black-and-white drawing of a muscular man standing sideways. His left arm rests on a block, while his right arm holds a club. The paper has a textured background with lines, and the edges show where it was folded. The man’s skin looks rough, with every muscle and vein drawn in. The artist used shading to make the body look three-dimensional. Notice how the lines get darker where the light would hit the curves. Want to see more? Check out the technique: etching.