Reproduction of Herakles Killing the Hydra of Lerna

Emile Gilliéron

second quarter of the 6th century BCE · Watercolor and graphite on paper · Greek and Roman Art

This half-size depiction of a small pediment shows the labor of Herakles killing the Hydra, a formidable enemy whose multiple heads grew back as soon as they were lopped off. The sculpture was found on the Acropolis in 1882, but the location of its original structure has not been identified. On the occasion of a visit to Athens in 1883, Russell Sturgis, the eminent American architect and one of the founders of The Met, commissioned Gilliéron to draw this pediment and other recent discoveries on the Acropolis for him; the whereabouts of these works are unknown.

Artist

Emile Gilliéron

Date

second quarter of the 6th century BCE

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Culture

Greek

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Dodge Fund, 1919