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Hercules Crushing Antaeus
(Renaissance Europe )
In Greco-Roman mythology, the hero Hercules was raised to the ranks of the gods because of his great deeds. His feats were depicted by artists who enjoyed displaying their mastery of the heroic male nude. One of Hercules's adventures took place in Libya: King Antaeus, a vicious giant and son of Mother Earth, forced travelers to wrestle with him. As long as he touched the earth (his mother), his energy was maintained, and he was able to kill his opponents. Hercules held Antaeus off the ground and crushed him. In the Renaissance, the subject was interpreted as the triumph of virtue.
A Roman marble copy (in the Pitti Palace, Florence) after a Greek bronze of the subject was known before 1500, but all that remained of Antaeus was his torso. This is one of many reconstructions imagined by sculptors. The modeling is austere, but the struggle is convincing. A more refined cast of this piece belonged to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1931 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1980 | Beyond Nobility: Art for the Private Citizen in the Early Renaissance. Allentown Museum of Art, Allentown. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Loan Consideration | examined for loan | |
| 3/24/1964 | Examination | other |
| 8/24/1977 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 8/27/1977 | Treatment | coated; cleaned; other |
| 8/28/1979 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 12/15/1987 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 12/15/1987 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 4/27/1995 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
Geographies
Italy, Padua
(Place of Origin)
Italy, Mantua (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 10 11/16 × W: 6 × D: 4 7/16 in. (27.2 × 15.3 × 11.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1931
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.633