The story of Heracles is one of antiquity’s richest mythic narratives: a half-divine hero who undertakes labours, doubt and suffering, but ultimately transcends mortality. In this painting, the figure is not shown mid-action but rather as an eternalised emblem, focusing on the idea of heroic identity rather than narrative moment.

The Divine Hero, Heracles, positions the mythic figure of Heracles in a space between legend and reverence. Created in oil with 24 carat gold leaf and ink on a wood panel, the work brings together painting, gilding and fine line detail to evoke a hero whose labours are completed yet whose presence remains. The gold leaf glows like a halo of memory around the figure; the ink traces contours and the inscription in classical Greek suggests the passage of time; the oils give flesh and weight to the heroic form.

In my painting, Heracles is momentarily still, and rather than the usual portrayal of mid-clash with the Nemean lion, or straining under his labours, he is poised in silence. He is looking down, still and silent, the embodiment of the aftermath. The viewer is invited to consider: what remains of greatness? What echoes after the myth? Through material richness and classical resonance, the painting is more than a portrait—it is artifact, symbol and question.