The Apotheosis of HerculesCharles Le Brun

This ceiling painting (1672–74) shows Hercules carried upward among the gods, framed by gilded stucco and surrounding narrative panels. Created under Louis XIV, it occupies the central vault of a ceremonial interior and aligns with the broader decorative program of Versailles. By elevating Hercules to Olympus, Le Brun articulates the hero’s triumphs as parallel to the king’s claim to divine authority.