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1 of 253523 objects
Germany
Hercules and Antaeus seventeenth century
Bronze | 64.8 x 30.0 x 32.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 21929
Grand Reception Room, Windsor Castle
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Bronze group of two nude males wrestling, one lifting the other off the ground and crushing him; an elderly woman at their feet. All on a flat naturalistic rocky base with animal heads and serpents. This dramatic sculpture shows the moment that Hercules lifts the giant Antaeus from the ground and crushes him in the air. Antaeus was invincible only if he remained in contact with the earth. The distraught figure emerging from the ground is Antaeus’s mother, Gaea, the goddess who personified the earth.
Provenance
Purchased by George IV from Rundell, Bridge & Rundell for £63 (bill dated 16th August 1824)
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Bronze
Measurements
64.8 x 30.0 x 32.5 cm (whole object)
Alternative title(s)
Antaeus crushed by Hercules; Hercules, Antaeus and Gaiea