This “Ercolano” Fresco depicts the infamous scene of young Hercules wrestling a snake, and it was taken from a city named in his honor. Herculaneum was an ancient civilization buried under volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Although less known than Pompeii today, it was the first, the only discovered buried Vesuvian city for much of the 18th century. Herculaneum, although smaller than Pompeii, was a very prosperous town, and it has only been partially excavated.
The Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata are all UNESCO world heritage sites. UNESCO has reported on some of the most important preserved landmarks in Herculaneum: “In Herculaneum several impressive public buildings are well preserved, including a spacious palaestra accessed through a monumental gateway, two sets of public baths, one of which (Central Thermae) is monumental and vividly decorated, the College of the Priests of Augustus, and a theatre of standard form.” As excavations continue, more precious ancient relics continue to be unearthed.
Today, the ancient town is located in Ercolano, a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples in Southern Italy. The ancient civilization sits right on the Bay of Naples at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
In 1995, thieves hacked this fresco from the wall of a tomb in the Herculaneum archaeological site. That same year, hedge fund billionaire Michael Steinhardt, a prolific collector of art, bought it for $650,000. Steinhardt, 81 at the time, bought it from dealer Robert Hechy, who had been accused of illicit trafficking. Steinhardt was investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney, which has been cracking down on the illegal antiquities market. In fact, the DA was investigating the Met at this same time. In September 2022, the DA’s office seized 27 Greek and Egyptian antiquities from the Met, which they acquired from a similarly nefarious collector.
The fresco, valued at $1 million, was among 180 items given up by Mr. Steinhardt after Italian and Manhattan investigators determined the pieces had been stolen and illegally placed on the art market. Steinhardt agreed to a lifetime ban from acquiring antiquities as part of the case’s resolution.
Alvin L. Bragg Jr, the Manhattan District Attorney proclaimed, “These artifacts deserve a place in their homeland, where the people of Italy can jointly appreciate the marvels of their country’s past. There are far too many important cultural artifacts being illegally looted and trafficked across the globe.” Bragg emphasizes the importance of Italian people being able to appreciate their ancient artifacts together in their homeland.
Ricky J. Patel, who was the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Acting Special Agent in Charge, also commented on the importance of repatriation: “Today we join our partners in returning these ancient artifacts, some of which were crafted at the very beginnings of civilization, to the people of Italy. Thieves and so called ‘collectors’ attempted to loot and smuggle these items, to hold them in private collections or to sell them for an ill-gained profit. Those who plunder these artifacts are not only stealing relics of the past, but they are stealing from our future by depriving our children of the chance to appreciate the history and artistry of those who came before them.” Such ancient artifacts provide great educational opportunities, and, as emphasized by Bragg, appreciating and studying them together enriches the cultural heritage of civilizations.
There was a reparation ceremony in New York to return these artifacts to Rome. 48 of the artifacts handed back to Italy at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday came from Steinhardt and 60 others were recovered from the New York art dealership Royal-Athena Galleries. Among those returned were 3 additional similar frescos from a nearby town, Paestum. The Ercolano Fresco serves as just one example of countless antiquities that have been stripped of their heritage and important historic and artistic context.
