Hercules and Omphale, 1724 Francois Lemoyne (1688-1737)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Francois Lemoyne also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting Hercules and Omphale is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

We offer free shipping as well as paid express transportation services.

After adding your artwork to the shopping cart, you will be able to check the delivery price using the Estimate Shipping and Tax tool.

The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

Francois Lemoyne’s 1724 masterpiece, "Hercules and Omphale," captures a moment dripping with the decadence and sensuality of myth. The scene unfolds in a wooded landscape under the warm tones of a late-afternoon sky, setting the stage for a rare glimpse of Hercules - stripped of his lion’s skin and burdened not by labors, but by the subtle enslavement of desire.

At the center, Hercules leans toward Omphale, his muscled frame softened, as if he is entranced by the queen's gaze. He holds her hand with a gentleness that speaks of submission, while she stands beside him, cloaked in the very symbols of his strength - the lion’s pelt draped over her shoulder, the club loosely held in her left hand. The fabric draped around their bodies ripples with a lifelike quality, almost teasing the eye with its fluid motion. Lemoyne’s brushwork here is exquisite; the sheer texture of the fabrics contrasts with the robust flesh of the figures, demonstrating his skill in creating tactile surfaces with oil paint.

The colors are both rich and restrained. Lemoyne layers warm ochres and earthy browns to emphasize the bodies of Hercules and Omphale, while a bold red curtain above them adds a sense of drama, almost framing the interaction as if it were a scene in a play. The composition is balanced but not static - Cupid lurks at the side, a mischievous grin on his face, pulling Hercules' club as if to mock his diminished heroism.

What’s striking is the softness of light that Lemoyne uses to bathe his characters, allowing their skin tones to glow with an almost supernatural warmth. This light draws us in, making us complicit observers of the intimate exchange, while the dynamic poses bring a palpable energy to the canvas. Lemoyne’s technique is masterful here, using gentle chiaroscuro to shape the figures and guide our eyes through the painting, lingering on each detail - the clasped hands, the entwined drapery, the tender expressions - each a testament to the power of allure over brute strength.