Héraclès archer

Emile-Antoine Bourdelle modeled this hero in a modern realistic style, but opted for a head inspired by classical antiquity. Both the head and the subject of this sculpture reflect his great fondness for Greek and Roman mythology and art.

The subject is Hercules killing the Stymphalian birds, one of the twelve labors the gods have charged him with performing. These man-eating birds live in a swamp in Arcadia. The swamp is too boggy to enter, so Hercules must shoot them from the sky.

Greek myths describe Arcadia as a kind of paradise, although it also harbors dark and dangerous places. This heaven on earth represents the longing for something bigger, purer, and more beautiful. A better world that has been lost, but that it might be possible to find again. What does your paradise look like?

French sculptor Emile-Antoine Bourdelle was a contemporary and collaborator of Auguste Rodin. Bourdelle was known for his monumental sculptures, but he also created striking portraits. He took inspiration from both classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, sometimes in a more lyrical and sometimes in a strict archaic style. His art is typified by an expressive energy. More than 40 years after his death, Bourdelle gained an international reputation as a pioneer of 20th-century monumental sculpture. As a teacher, he also played a role in the formation of a generation of younger artists, including Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, and Hans Arp.