Gaspar van der Hagen, active 1747–died 1769, Flemish, active in Britain (from ca. 1744)
Title:
Sacrifice to Hercules
Date:
ca. 1766
Materials & Techniques:
Marble relief
Dimensions:
Overall: 24 x 28 15/16 inches (61 x 73.5 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund and a Gift from the Parnassus Foundation, Courtesy of Jane and Raphael Bernstein
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B2003.6
Gallery Label:
Gaspar van der Hagen was an assistant to John Michael Rysbrack for over twenty years, helping to supply the demand for classically inspired ornament for English interiors. In this relief, a small statue of Hercules stands before an altar on which a group of Roman generals pour a libation. It was based on a section of the ancient Arch of Constantine in Rome and was originally intended to decorate the space over a fireplace. Rysbrack, however, kept this relief in his own collection until his death. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
