The Mountain of Hell
Group
1550-1560 (made)
1550-1560 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The sculptor Agostino Zoppo was trained in bronze-casting. He was employed as a founder by Jacopo Sansovino, the leading sculptor in Venice during the sixteenth century. Two pairs of Mountains of Hell are mentioned in the inventory of Zoppo's studio after his death.
The subject of the Mountain of Hell shows the rescue of Alcestis from the Underworld by the Greek hero Hercules. Sisyphus is carrying a boulder, Hercules is now lost. There are holes in the eyes and mouths of some figures for emenating smoke, indicating that the scene probably formed the lid of a perfume burner.
This version is a later cast than another version in the museum (A.62-1953), but based on the same model, with added pipes projecting from the mouths of the figures.
The subject of the Mountain of Hell shows the rescue of Alcestis from the Underworld by the Greek hero Hercules. Sisyphus is carrying a boulder, Hercules is now lost. There are holes in the eyes and mouths of some figures for emenating smoke, indicating that the scene probably formed the lid of a perfume burner.
This version is a later cast than another version in the museum (A.62-1953), but based on the same model, with added pipes projecting from the mouths of the figures.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Mountain of Hell (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Group, bronze, Mountain of Hell, after a model by Agostino Zoppo, Italy (Padua), model ca. 1550-1560 |
| Physical description | The subject of the Mountain of Hell shows the rescue of Alcestis from the Underworld by the Greek hero Hercules. Sisyphus is carrying a boulder, Hercules is now lost. Holes in the eyes and mouths of some figures for emenating smoke. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought from A. Spero, for £750, in 1953. |
| Production | 1550-1560 for the model |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The sculptor Agostino Zoppo was trained in bronze-casting. He was employed as a founder by Jacopo Sansovino, the leading sculptor in Venice during the sixteenth century. Two pairs of Mountains of Hell are mentioned in the inventory of Zoppo's studio after his death. The subject of the Mountain of Hell shows the rescue of Alcestis from the Underworld by the Greek hero Hercules. Sisyphus is carrying a boulder, Hercules is now lost. There are holes in the eyes and mouths of some figures for emenating smoke, indicating that the scene probably formed the lid of a perfume burner. This version is a later cast than another version in the museum (A.62-1953), but based on the same model, with added pipes projecting from the mouths of the figures. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.63-1953 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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