Hercules and Antaeus

16th century

Italian 16th Century

Associated Names
Italian 16th Century

Artist

This oval relief sculpture depicts two male figures standing closely together near a tree. One man is embracing or leaning on the other with his arms outstretched, while the other holds him and leans backward. Both men have curly hair and appear to be nude, although the standing man has a cloth draped around his shoulder and arm that falls to the ground by his feet. In the background on the right, there is a thin tree with detailed branches. The sculpture is made of a golden-brown material with a dark patina accentuating some areas.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gilded bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 4.7 x 3.7 cm (1 7/8 x 1 7/16 in.) gross weight: 24 gr

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.222

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Oscar Hainauer [d. 1894], Berlin; his wife, Julie Hainauer, Berlin; acquired 1906 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); by exchange 21 October 1920 to Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1897

  • Bode, Wilhelm von, ed. Die Sammlung Oscar Hainauer / The Collection of Oscar Hainauer. [bound as one volume, English and German pages interleaved in one page sequence] Berlin, 1897 and London, 1906: no. 214.

1908

  • A Cabinet of One Hundred & Thirty-Three Bronze Plaques and Medals of the Renaissance Period from the Collection of the Late Herr Oscar Hainauer of Berlin. Ed. Duveen Brothers. London, n.d. (but 1908): no. 80, repro.

1942

  • Works of Art from the Widener Collection. Foreword by David Finley and John Walker. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 15.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 113, no. 15.

Wikidata ID

Q63809648

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