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Belvedere Torso n. a fragment of a classical marble sculpture of a seated male consisting of the figure's muscular torso and upper legs which was formerly displayed in the Belvedere at the Vatican (see note at sense 1).It is unknown whether the fragment is from an original classical or Hellenistic Greek work or from a Roman copy and the identity of the figure depicted is also uncertain, though is most commonly thought to be either Hercules or Ajax. Since coming to prominence in the early 16th cent. the work has frequently been regarded as a masterpiece and its portrayal of heroic muscularity greatly influenced Michelangelo, Raphael, and other Renaissance artists.