Not currently on display at the V&A

Hercules and Antaeus

Plaquette
1500-1520 (made)
Artist/Maker
Master of the Labours of Hercules (artist)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This plaquette depicts the story of Hercules and Antaneus and is made by the so called 'Master of the Labours of Hercules', who was a follower of Moderno.
Hercules is shown in the traditional pose with the skin of the Nemean lion (his first labour) on the nearby tree trunk. Antaneus was a Greek giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, and was extremely strong and invulnerable, as long as he kept contact with the ground. Hercules discovered the secret, lifted him from the earth and then strangled him.


Object details

Categories
Plaques & Plaquettes
Myths & Legends
Sculpture
Object type
Plaquette
TitleHercules and Antaeus (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Plaquette, bronze, Hercules and Antaeus, by the Master of the Labours of Hercules, Italy, ca. 1500-1520
Physical description
Hercules is standing upright, naked, seen from the back, grasping Antaeus round the waist and lifting him from the ground. On the left a tree stump on which hang the lion's skin, bow and quiver.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.8cm
  • Width: 7.7cm
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Production
The Master of the Laborus of Hercules is a follower of Moderno
Subjects depicted
Lion's Skin
Bow
Hercules
Antaeus
Summary
This plaquette depicts the story of Hercules and Antaneus and is made by the so called 'Master of the Labours of Hercules', who was a follower of Moderno.
Hercules is shown in the traditional pose with the skin of the Nemean lion (his first labour) on the nearby tree trunk. Antaneus was a Greek giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, and was extremely strong and invulnerable, as long as he kept contact with the ground. Hercules discovered the secret, lifted him from the earth and then strangled him.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 70
  • Maclagan, Eric. Catalogue of Italian Plaquettes . London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924, p. 36
  • Martini, Luciana. Piccoli bronzi e placchette del Museo Nazionale di Ravenna. Bologna: University Press, 1985, pp. 160-161, no 40
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.441-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313745/hercules-and-antaeus-plaquette-master-of-the/
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