Hercules and the Hydra
- Artist
- Mathias Gasteiger, German, 1871–1934
- Date
- 1921–30
- Material
- Bronze
- made in
- Munich, Bavaria state, Germany, Europe
- Classification
- Metalwork, sculpture
- Current Location
- On View, Outdoor, South Lawn
- Dimensions
- 95 1/2 x 77 x 56 in. (242.6 x 195.6 x 142.2 cm)
weight: 1440 lb. (653.2 kg)
base: 30 x 48 x 48 in. (76.2 x 121.9 x 121.9 cm) - Credit Line
- Funds given by an anonymous donor
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 1:1930
NOTES
In this over life-sized sculpture, the Greek mythological hero Hercules battles a many-headed snake that has terrorized the countryside. Dramatically balanced on one leg, he wields a large club, his traditional attribute. The German sculptor Mathias Gasteiger renders the physique of the hero—famed for his strength—with exaggerated and stylized musculature. Gasteiger developed the sculpture over several years, ultimately creating a polychrome work with the addition of golden hair to recall the style of classical Greek antiquity.