ticketsMember | Make a donation

Iphicles Saved from a Serpent by his Brother Hercules

ca. 1450
Not on view
In myth, the Greek princess Alcmena gave birth simultaneously to sons by different fathers: Hercules, sired by Jupiter, and Iphicles, begotten of Amphitryon. Jupiter's vengeful wife Juno sent serpents to devour the boys in their cradle. Iphicles' cries of fright alerted Hercules, who grabbed the serpents and squeezed them to death. In this sizable fragment of a terracotta relief, Hercules, a hero even in babyhood, is distinguished by his larger torso and his foot grappling with a single snake at the bottom left. Hercules' head, an arm, and most of one leg are missing, but Iphicles is nearly complete.

The style of this piece, with rounded shapes arranged as planes in subtly graded low relief, owes much to the presence in Padua of the great Florentine sculptor Donatello in the 1450s. On the basis of its similarity to the bronze panels of angels in the church of Sant'Antonio in Padua, the work has been attributed to Antonio di Chelino, who was an assistant on Donatello's sculptures for the high altar of the church, known as the Santo. But with or without an attribution, this is a highly sympathetic and plenteously Donatelesque work whose rare secular subject no doubt appealed to Pauda's Humanist culture.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Iphicles Saved from a Serpent by his Brother Hercules
  • Date: ca. 1450
  • Culture: Italian, Padua
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 20 1/4 × 23 5/16 × 4 7/8 in., 48.3 lb. (51.4 × 59.2 × 12.4 cm, 21.9 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Fund, 2006
  • Object Number: 2006.453
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Incense burner, Bronze, Northern Italian, probably Padua
Incense burner
Northern Italian, probably Padua
ca. 1530–40
Striding Pan, Andrea Briosco, called Riccio Italian, Bronze, Italian, Padua
Striding Pan
Andrea Briosco, called Riccio
1530–1539
Rothschild lamp, Andrea Briosco, called Riccio Italian, Bronze, on a later wood base, Italian, Padua
Rothschild lamp
Andrea Briosco, called Riccio
ca. 1510–20
Triton and Nereid, Andrea Briosco, called Riccio Italian, Bronze, Italian, Padua
Triton and Nereid
Andrea Briosco, called Riccio
after 1532–before ca. 1550
Oil lamp in the form of a bearded athlete balanced on his knees, Agostino Zoppo Italian, Bronze, partially oil-gilt, Italian, Padua
Oil lamp in the form of a bearded athlete balanced on his knees
Agostino Zoppo
ca. 1520–30

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.