The Sanctuary of Hercules
1884
Artist, Swiss, 1827 - 1901
In Arnold Böcklin's Sanctuary of Hercules, three soldiers kneel reverently on the outer step of a shrine, while a fourth looks defiantly off into the distance. The sky, a rich panoply of gray, blue, and white, signals an approaching storm, and a strong wind whips through the trees, scattering the leaves and ruffling the plumes on the soldiers' helmets. At the painting's focal point is the sanctuary itself constructed of stones which are trimmed with polished marble and rest upon an equally smooth circular base. Within the enclosure is a sacred grove of massive trees and at the back, seen in darkened profile, a statue of Hercules, mythical hero and protector from danger.
At first glance, the subject appears very realistic and the shrine archaeologically accurate. Yet the scene also conveys a definite mood of mystery. The stones' pure and richly harmonious colors glow with an unnatural radiance. The gloom inside the grove is equaled by the dark ominous clouds, lit by flashes of lightning on the horizon. Indebted to the romantics of the first half of the nineteenth century, Böcklin rejected the idea of painting solely from nature, and strove to express his own feelings through nature, with the use of vibrant coloration and dramatic lighting.
Artwork overview
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Medium
oil on wood
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Credit Line
-
Dimensions
overall: 113.8 x 180.5 cm (44 13/16 x 71 1/16 in.)
framed: 142.24 × 210.19 × 8.26 cm (56 × 82 3/4 × 3 1/4 in.) -
Accession
1976.36.1
Artwork history & notes
Provenance
Dr. Carl Steinbart [1852-1923], Berlin, by 1885.[1] (Kunsthandlung Fritz Gurlitt, Berlin), in 1886.[2] Julie Ginsberg, Berlin, by 1897.[3] Dr. Arthur von Weinberg [1860-1943], Frankfurt-am-Main, by 1904; by inheritance to his adopted daughters, Charlotte Frederike, Princess Ferdinand Lobkowicz [1896-1973], Frankfurt-am-main, and Marie Elisabeth, Gräfin von Spreti [1892-1969]; presumably by inheritance to Marie Elisabeth's daughter, Alexandra-Beatrix Scherping [b. 1929, née Countess von Spreti], Schloss Pähl, Bavaria. (Galerie Bruno Meissner, Zurich), by 1975;[4] purchased 1976 by NGA.
[1] Steinbart's name is written three times in various locations on the reverse of the panel; see notes and photos in NGA curatorial files.
[2] The Gurlitt name is given in Rolf Andree, Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde, Basel and Munich, 1977: 451, no. 378, repro.
[3] Mrs. Ginsberg lent the painting to an 1897 exhibition in Berlin.
[4] Provenance provided by Galerie Bruno Meissner. See also letter dated 3 August 1976 from Prince Edouard de Lobkowicz in NGA curatorial files.
Associated Names
Exhibition History
1897
Akademische Ausstellung von Werken Arnold Böcklin zur feier seines 70. geburtstages, Königliche Akademi der Künste, Berlin, 1897-1898, no. 58.
1974
Arnold Boecklin 1827-1901, Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf, 1974, no. 51
Bibliography
1977
Andree, Rolf. Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde. Basel and Munich, 1977: 451, no. 378, repro.
1979
Watson, Ross. The National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1979: 118, pl. 104.
1984
Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 414, no. 592, color repro.
1985
European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 50, repro.
1992
National Gallery of Art, Washington. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 73, repro.
Inscriptions
lower right: AB
Wikidata ID
Q20189707