Herakles Hydria

AAT Object Form/FunctionHydriae

Place CreatedGreece, Europe

CultureGreek, Attic

PeriodArchaic

Date520-510 BCE

MediumCeramic

Credit LineCarlos Collection of Ancient Art

Dimensions20 3/16 x 13 1/16 in. (51.3 x 33.2 cm)

Object number1984.008

Label TextThe beginning and completion of Herakles' cycle of labors are depicted on this vessel intended to fetch water from the well. The labors (athla, whence our term athletic) were imposed on Herakles to atone for the massacre of his wife and children, committed in a rage of insanity visited upon him by Hera. She was still seething over Zeus' affair with Alkmene that resulted in the birth of Herakles. Their completion required not just brute strength, but cunning, patience, and endurance.
On the shoulder, Herakles wrestles the Nemean lion, his first labor. His weapons, useless against the lion's impenetrable hide, hang in the field above. Herakles is flanked by his nephew Iolaos, who holds his club, and his patron goddess, Athena. The woman at far left may be the local nymph, Nemea, who raises her hand in alarm. After killing the lion, Herakles skinned it, and wore it, as depicted below.

The larger picture on the body depicts the introduction of Herakles to Olympos on completion of all his labors. Hermes at right guides the chariot. He holds a kerykeion (herald's staff). Dionysos, who holds a kantharos (drinking cup) and vine tendrils, and Athena stand alongside. The charioteer beside Herakles may again be Iolaos.

Three projections on the rim beside the main handle imitate rivets found on bronze hydriai. The lustrous glaze and crisp potting contribute further to a metallic appearance.
Exhibition HistoryAn Enduring Ideal: Classical Art from the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, November 1, 1992 - February 15, 1993
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, May 11,1993 - March 1996
Nike: Victory and Competition at the Ancient Greek Festival Games, Michael C. Carlos Museum, March 30 - August 18, 1996
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, August 1996 - May 2004
MCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2004 - January 2011
Monsters, Demons & Winged Beasts: Composite Creatures in the Ancient World, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - June 19, 2011
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, June 20, 2011 - August 26, 2013
MCCM Permanent Collection Galleries, October 2, 2013 - Present
Published ReferencesSotheby's London, Preview (June/July 1984).
Sotheby's London, Antiquities (July 9-10, 1984), 120-121, lot 283.
"Greek Art Objects Purchased with Carlos Gift," Emory Magazine (January 1985): 2.
Helen C. Smith, "A Walk Through Time," Atlanta Weekly (June 8, 1986).
Michael C. Carlos Museum Handbook (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 1996), 56.
MCCM Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2011.

ProvenancePurchased by Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology from Sotheby's London, July 9-10, 1984, lot 283.

Status

On view

Collections