Due to his international success, Canova had many commissions. He no longer had to rely on funerary monuments for large-scale work, but could concentrate instead on the highest ideal of the sculptor's profession at the time - the freestanding classical figure. These were often cast as revisions of classical statues. Enthusiasm for these works was such that Canova was often regarded as having surpassed the antique. His Hercules and Lichas, for example, was often preferred to the Farnese Hercules. It is in fact a work with a stricter profile, thus fitting in the more "primitive" concept of the 1790s.

In Greek mythology, Lychas was Heracles' servant, who brought the poisoned shirt from Deianira to Hercules because of Deianira's jealousy of Iole, which killed him.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.