Hercules at the Crossroads, 1765 by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni
Canvas Print - 8639-BPG
Location: The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, RussiaOriginal Size: 245 x 172 cm
Giclée Canvas Print | $52.60 USD
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*Max printing size: 24 x 16.7 in
*Max framing size: Long side up to 28"
"Hercules at the Crossroads" will be custom-printed for your order using the latest giclée printing technology. This technique ensures that the Canvas Print captures an exceptional level of detail, showcasing vibrant and vivid colors with remarkable clarity.
Our use of the finest quality, fine-textured canvas lends art reproductions a painting-like appearance. Combined with a satin-gloss coating, it delivers exceptional print outcomes, showcasing vivid colors, intricate details, deep blacks, and impeccable contrasts. The canvas structure is also highly compatible with canvas stretching frames, further enhancing its versatility.
To ensure proper stretching of the artwork on the stretcher-bar, we add additional blank borders around the printed area on all sides.
Our printing process utilizes cutting-edge technology and employs the Giclée printmaking method, ensuring exceptional quality. The colors undergo independent verification, guaranteeing a lifespan of over 100 years.
Please note that there are postal restrictions limiting the size of framed prints to a maximum of 28 inches along the longest side of the painting. If you desire a larger art print, we recommend utilizing the services of your local framing studio.
*It is important to mention that the framing option is unavailable for certain paintings, such as those with oval or round shapes.
If you select a frameless art print of "Hercules at the Crossroads" by Pompeo Batoni, it will be prepared for shipment within 48 hours. However, if you prefer a framed artwork, the printing and framing process will typically require approximately 7-8 days before it is ready to be shipped.
We provide complimentary delivery for up to two unframed (rolled-up) art prints in a single order. Our standard delivery is free and typically takes 10-14 working days to arrive.
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All unframed art prints are delivered rolled up in secure postal tubes, ensuring their protection during transportation. Framed art prints, on the other hand, are shipped in cardboard packaging with additional corner protectors for added safety.
Painting Information
Here's the scene: a muscular figure stands torn between two paths, caught in that eternal moment of choice that defines both art and life. Batoni's "Hercules at the Crossroads" pulses with dramatic tension, rendering the classical allegory of virtue versus vice with baroque theatricality and precision.
The composition brilliantly triangulates its three main figures: Minerva in her martial blue robes and distinctive helmet, the bare-chested Hercules in his moment of indecision, and Venus lounging seductively in white and crimson silk. The painting's genius lies in how it captures the psychological warfare of temptation – Minerva's stern, upraised arm pointing to the distant temple of virtue contrasts magnificently with Venus's languid pose and the offered rose, symbol of fleeting pleasures.
Batoni's masterful handling of color deserves particular attention. The painting pivots on a sophisticated interplay between cool and warm tones: Minerva's steel-blue drapery anchors the left side while Venus's sumptuous red silk and pale flesh dominate the right. Hercules, painted in warm, golden flesh tones, serves as the fulcrum between these opposing forces. The stormy sky adds atmospheric drama, with breaks of golden light suggesting divine presence.
The technical virtuosity is evident in every brush stroke. Batoni lavishes particular attention on the textures – the gleam of Minerva's helmet, the luminous quality of Venus's skin, the subtle modeling of Hercules's musculature. The small details reward close inspection: the putti with Hercules's future attributes, the carefully rendered musical instruments at Venus's feet, the architectural precision of the distant temple. Each element is executed with a crystalline clarity that characterized the best Roman painting of the period.
This is more than mere moral allegory; it's a profound meditation on human choice rendered in paint. Batoni transforms the ancient tale into something immediate and psychologically acute, speaking to the endless human struggle between duty and desire. The painting's enduring power lies not just in its technical excellence, but in how it makes tangible that universal moment of decision between the easy path and the right one.
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