Hercules and Cascades

The Hercules monument in Kassel is the most monumental recreation of the Farnese Hercules, now widely recognised as a model piece of classical sculpture. Erected in 1717, the figure was meant to symbolise the power of the Landgraf Karl von Hessen-Kassel (1654–1730) who was keen to re-establish, within his domain and the remit of his dynamic rule after the devastations of the Thirty Years' War, the army, economy, and prosperity.

Hercules and Cascades, photochrom print, 1890–1900, photographer unknown; source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/, Call Number LOT 13411, no. 0610, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002713886/, public domain.