Plate LXVIII (68): Hercules, from "Museum Florentinum" (Statuae antiquae dorum et virorum illustrium) 1734

Marc'Antonio Corsi made this print of Hercules holding the golden apples of Hesperides sometime in the 1700s. It was included in the “Museum Florentinum,” a series of prints documenting antiquities owned by the Medici family in Florence. The “Museum Florentinum” served to catalogue and celebrate the Medici collection, reinforcing their status as powerful patrons of the arts and inheritors of classical grandeur. Hercules, as a symbol of strength, virtue, and divine favor, was an obvious choice. By portraying the sculptures in a polished, idealized manner, Corsi contributed to the 18th-century fascination with classical antiquity, a phenomenon that shaped artistic taste and philosophical ideals. Art historians consult inventories, correspondence, and other documents to understand the original context of pieces like this, appreciating the social forces that shaped the production and reception of art.