Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Metadaten

Perry, Walter Copland
Greek and Roman sculpture: a popular introduction to the history of Greek and Roman sculpture — London, 1882

DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14144#0265

DWork-Logo
Overview
Facsimile
0.5
1 cm
facsimile
Scroll
OCR fulltext
THE LABOURS OF HERACLES.

229

hero's face (unless it be an ' zEginetan smile'), preclude a later
origin. Only the eyes might seem to belong to a more advanced
period of art.

In the metope representing the Contest with the Ncmeean Lion 1
(lion, Fr.; head and hand of Heracles, Germ.) the lion is almost
entire, and the head and hand of Heracles have been lately found in
Olympia. The poor beast is lying on his side under the heavy foot
of Heracles, past all power of further resistance. In front of the
lion's hind leg is the left shin-bone of the hero, and behind it the
remains of his club, on which his left hand must have rested.2 There
is room for another figure—of the size of the Hesperid in the Atlas
metope—between the lion's head and the left edge of the metope. The
hero, whose eyes and hair are coloured red,3 leans his head upon his
hand as if in meditation. It is remarkable that he is here represented
as a beardless youth, perhaps to remind the spectator that this was
the first of his great exploits. The thought that many such terrific
foes as the one he has just encountered awaited him in his laborious
career might well, for a moment, depress the youthful hero.1

In the metope of ilie Atigaan Stables (Germ.) the figure of Athene,
nearly complete, standing with helmet, shield, and lance, occupies the
left side. Heracles, of whom we have the left leg and other fragments,
is striding to the left, as if in the act of sweeping.

Of the metope of the triple Gcryon, the figure of the monster (Fr.)
has long been known. To this the upper part of Heracles (Germ.)
has been lately added. The triple giant in full armour occupies the
right of the slab. He wears two of his shields on his arms;5 the
third has slipped down and touches the ground. Heracles plants his
foot on the thigh of Geryon, and is probably brandishing his club.
Between his legs was the dead body of the herdsman Eurytion. A
beautiful head of Heracles6 has been quite recently found, which pro-

1 Conf. vase in Brit. Mus., Table-case
II, No. 84, in first Vase-room.

' Treu, Berkht, 42.

» Expid. dc Mon'e, i. pi. 74. 2.

' Compare the dejected drooping head of
the Heracles Farnese, which represents him
towards the end of his career.

5 Lenormant, Bullet, d. Inst. 1832, p. 17,
and Wouet. Exped. d. Jifon'e, i. pL 75, 1.
Conf. an archaic amphora in Iirit. Mus.
Table-case A, No. 28 G.

• A photograph of this head will soon
appear in vol. v. of the Ausgrab. zu 01.
 
Annotationen