The Choice of Hercules 

Pompeo Batoni painted ‘The Choice of Hercules’, depicting the ancient myth of Hercules choosing between virtue and pleasure. But what does this scene tell us about 18th-century values? The painting, made in Italy, is a product of the Grand Tour era, when aristocratic northerners visited Italy as a rite of passage. Batoni was known for painting portraits of these tourists, who would also purchase paintings such as this one. Note the idealized landscape with its classical architecture. Hercules, in the centre, is torn between the path of ease, represented by the woman with the rose, and the path of glory, represented by Minerva, goddess of wisdom, with her helmet and spear. The cherubic figures in the painting are being crushed under the weight of Hercules' decision. Hercules looks to Minerva, but his pose suggests a more languid, sensuous attraction to Pleasure. The image evokes a culture of education and self-improvement, rooted in the study of classical literature, promoting stoicism as a path to social leadership. To understand such a work more fully, we can consult diaries, travel accounts, and the records of institutions such as the art academies that shaped artistic taste.