NOTES
The ancient Roman hero Hercules, known for his legendary strength, wrestles the giant Antæus, son of the earth goddess Gaia. Hercules struggles to lift his adversary off the ground, since that is the source of his opponent’s strength.
This sculpture invites the viewer to walk around and see it from different perspectives, typical of the way in which 16th-century artists conceived their sculptural work. This bronze version represents an artist’s attempt to recreate a famous older example that was in fragments until 1564. This bronze may have been made as a guide to help reassemble the pieces of the earlier ancient marble version during restoration. For the private collector who first owned the bronze, this sculpture served as a copy of a famous antique.
