Fragment of a Sarcophagus
- Culture
- Roman, 753 BCE–395 CE
- Date
- 2nd century CE
- Material
- Marble
- Classification
- Sculpture, stone & mineral
- Collection
- Ancient Art
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 25 x 56 x 5 7/8 in. (63.5 x 142.2 x 14.9 cm)
- Credit Line
- Funds given by Agnes Friedman Baer in honor of James D. Burke
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 138:1987
NOTES
On this fragment we see the Greek hero Herakles, son of Zeus, performing a series of labors in atonement for killing his wife and children in a murderous rage. Four different labors are depicted as a series of events with the youthful Herakles as the focal point of each mini-scene. As Herakles struggles with these mythical monsters his expression remains surprisingly calm and serene. Originally forming the long side of a marble coffin, this fragment demonstrates the persistence of Greek themes in Roman Art.
Provenance
1982/12/12 -
Gawain McKinley, Southern France, purchased at sale of antiquities, Sotheby's, London, December 12-13, 1982, lot no. 267 [1]
- 1987
Ariadne Galleries, Inc. (Torkom Demirjian), New York, NY, USA, purchased from Gawain McKinley [2]
1987 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Ariadne Galleries, Inc. [3]
Notes:
[1] The fragment is illustrated in the 1982 auction catalogue ["Catalogue of Antiquities" Sotheby's, London, December 13-14, 1982, no. 267]. According to Ariadne Galleries director Torkom Demirjian, Gawain McKinley purchased the fragment at the 1982 auction [conversation between Saint Louis Art Museum curator Sid Goldstein and Torkom Demirjian, c.1987].
[2] Ariadne Galleries purchased 138:1987 from Gawain McKinley along with many other sculptural fragments [conversation between Saint Louis Art Museum curator Sid Goldstein and Torkom Demirjian, c.1987]. Invoice from Ariadne Galleries, Inc., dated July 24, 1987 [SLAM document files].
[3] Invoice from Ariadne Galleries, Inc., dated July 24, 1987 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions and Loans Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, July 31, 1987.
Gawain McKinley, Southern France, purchased at sale of antiquities, Sotheby's, London, December 12-13, 1982, lot no. 267 [1]
- 1987
Ariadne Galleries, Inc. (Torkom Demirjian), New York, NY, USA, purchased from Gawain McKinley [2]
1987 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Ariadne Galleries, Inc. [3]
Notes:
[1] The fragment is illustrated in the 1982 auction catalogue ["Catalogue of Antiquities" Sotheby's, London, December 13-14, 1982, no. 267]. According to Ariadne Galleries director Torkom Demirjian, Gawain McKinley purchased the fragment at the 1982 auction [conversation between Saint Louis Art Museum curator Sid Goldstein and Torkom Demirjian, c.1987].
[2] Ariadne Galleries purchased 138:1987 from Gawain McKinley along with many other sculptural fragments [conversation between Saint Louis Art Museum curator Sid Goldstein and Torkom Demirjian, c.1987]. Invoice from Ariadne Galleries, Inc., dated July 24, 1987 [SLAM document files].
[3] Invoice from Ariadne Galleries, Inc., dated July 24, 1987 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions and Loans Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, July 31, 1987.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.