Skip to main content

Hercules and Antaeus

Maker (Flemish, 1529 - 1608)
Maker (Italian, born 1619, died 1686 or 1690)
Additional Title(s)
  • Wrestlers
ClassificationsSCULPTURE
Datemid 17th Century
Mediumbronze
Dimensions18 x 12 x 7 in. (45.7 x 30.5 x 17.8 cm.)
DescriptionIn this sculptural group inspired by classical mythology, Hercules is wrestling Antaeus. The statuette is closely related to a group designed by Giambologna, and known today through several versions in bronze, terracotta, and plaster.
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Label TextGiambologna's work marks a turning point in the development of European sculpture. His bronze of Nessus and Deianira, a celebrated masterpiece, is on display in the case nearby. Renowned for his conveyance of movement, especially in groups of two or more figures, he forms an important link between the Renaissance composure of Michelangelo and the Baroque exuberance of Bernini.
In addition to artistic skill, he developed the technique of producing multiple casts of a single composition. These were produced in his large workshop and disseminated by his pupils and by the Medici Court, which used them as diplomatic gifts throughout Europe. As a result, his work was widely influential across Europe and on subsequent generations, as demonstrated by the bronze sculptures in this room.
Status
On view
Object number27.175
Hercules and Antaeus
Roman Anton Boos
ca. 1779-1780
Object number: 2007.17.11
Hercules and Antaeus
Stefano Maderno
n.d., possibly 19th century
Object number: 27.176
Hercules
Bartolomeo Ammanati
mid-16th Century
Object number: 27.177
Hercules and Telephos
Hubert Le Sueur
c.1648
Object number: 22.38
Photography © 2015 Fredrik Nilsen
Giambologna
ca. 1575
Object number: 17.13
Crouching Venus
Giambologna
late 16th Century
Object number: 27.174
Mercury
Giambologna
n.d.
Object number: 49.6
Hercules and Omphale
John James Chalon
n.d.
Object number: 71.40B
Choice of Hercules
Alfred Edward Chalon
n.d.
Object number: 71.40A
Hercules Murdering his Children
David Scott
1837
Object number: 63.43
Atlas and Hercules
Edward Francis Burney
n.d.
Object number: 76.16C
Hercules
Edward Francis Burney
n.d.
Object number: 76.16A