Heraclitus
Bust
1757 (made)
1757 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bust and its pair inv.no. A.201-1946 represent the so-called laughing and weeping philosophers: Democritus and Heraclitus, both from ancient Greece. They were often paired in sculpture in the 18th century to symbolise two contrasting attitudes to life. The use of steatite, a relatively rare stone, gives the busts an antique appearance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Heraclitus (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Steatite |
| Brief description | Bust, stone, alabaster, Heraclitus, Johann Christoph Ludwig von Lücke, Germany, 1757 |
| Physical description | Bust of Heraclitus, bare-headed with a drapery thrown over his left shoulder, his right shoulder bare. His long thin wrinkled face contorted in sorrow with heavy tears flowing from the eyes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Ludewig / von Lucke /Fecit 1757'. |
| Historical context | Bronze version in Mills Collection, Bisterne, nr Ringwood, Dorset, August 1999 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This bust and its pair inv.no. A.201-1946 represent the so-called laughing and weeping philosophers: Democritus and Heraclitus, both from ancient Greece. They were often paired in sculpture in the 18th century to symbolise two contrasting attitudes to life. The use of steatite, a relatively rare stone, gives the busts an antique appearance. |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.202-1946 |
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| Record created | January 12, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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