Hercules: Myth and Legacy

Abstract

Hercules: Myth and Legacy is an interdisciplinary exhibition that uses two narrative arcs simultaneously to retell the ancient mythological saga of Hercules’ twelve labours and to discuss the reception of Hercules in the history of science, technology and art from the post-Renaissance period to the modern day. This exhibition is the second in a series at the Chau Chak Wing Museum devoted to reception studies. The first exhibition, Animal Gods: Classics and Classification, focussed on Homeric epics the Trojan War and the Odyssey to introduce Linnaeus’ classification and naming systems, highlighting the role of Latin mythographer texts in the application of names, often without consideration of the physical attributes of the animal being named. However, for the name Hercules, the physical characteristics of the animal, place, or invention are of utmost consideration, in order to associate them with the traits of the ancient figure. The display includes ancient Athenian and post-Renaissance art alongside, animals, plants and objects that represent the variety of ways the name Hercules and the names of his associates or adversaries have been applied in the world around us.