Omphale And Hercules Analysis

In his piece, seen in Figure 1, Hercules and Omphale, sculpted in ivory in 1690, Permoser illustrates torment through the form of penance. According to myth, Hercules accidently caused the death of his friend Iphasis, ridding him with guilt. As punishment for his deeds, Zeus sentenced him to serve as Omphale’s servant for three years. Omphale was the Lydian queen, or queen of the barbarians, making her a suitable master for Hercules to perform his penance. He greatly yearned to be cleansed of his guilt, and sought out his repentance for his actions, and readily accepted the punishment from Zeus. Hercules and Omphale’s myth is central to the comprehension of Permoser’s ivory sculpture, as it is the feeling of guilt and torment that drives the form of the piece.
The ivory sculpture’s composition is made up of three different characters, Hercules, Omphale, and a putto. Omphale is standing in the center, …show more content…
The tree, not only serves as support for the putto, but as symbolism for Omphale’s barbarian lineage. Contrasting Hercules, who stands on the opposite side of Omphale, the putto’s feet are spread open, with one leg lifted from the ground. His stomach is embellished, hanging outward, while his face quizzically looks away from the scene. In looking away from the scene, but still grabbing onto the tree within it, the putto avoids interaction while still claiming a presence in the scene. It is most likely placed on the sculpture as a type of placeholder for the divine, evoking a scene beyond the realm of humans.
Hercules and Omphale illustrate a story of guilt and torment, which Permoser accurately captures in his sculpture. He conveys Omphale’s role of superiority as a master, while simultaneously depicting Hercules as a beacon of penance, and punishment. As shown in this ivory piece, Permoser does not just depict Hercules’ hardship, instead he allows the audience to feel the emotions running through