Herakles' 11th Labor: The Golden Apples of the Hesperides
This Red-figured hydria (water-jar) depicts Herakles in the garden of the Hesperides in a complete different way from the traditional mythical concern. The main scene lacks a sense of narrative and danger, with Heracles avoiding any exertion and waiting for Eros to give him the apples. This lack of action heightens the pictorial significance of the garden, and the idyllic nature of the setting is made palpable despite its restrained visual expression. The garden here represented is similar to the Garden of Delights. In the center is the tree of the golden apples, beside which, leaning his back against its trunk, Heracles, beardless, wearing a radiated fillet, is seated to right, upon his mantle, resting his right hand on his club, left on knee, with elbow on raised ground. He turns his head in three-quarter face to the left to look at Eros, who stands on his right upper arm, and with right arm raised as if picking fruit from the tree, offers Heracles with his left hand two apples painted white. He has short wavy hair, with fillet, and his wings are spread on either side. On the right on the ground level a beardless youth, Iolaos wearing a fillet and a mantle over his left arm, moves away, looking back with hands drawn back, palms outwards, with a gesture of great surprise. Above him, seated on a higher level to left, is Aphrodite (?), nude to the waist, leaning on her left arm and extending her right towards the tree: she wears a mantle around her legs and a sphendone. On the right on a lower level, but with her right hand on the shoulder of Aphrodite, a Hesperide stands looking on, leaning back on her left elbow: she wears a long Doric chiton with apoptygma and a saccos. On the left of Heracles a second Hesperide advances, dressed as the last, but with a sphendone, holding out towards him with both hands some object not shown. Behind her is seated to right on his mantle a youth wearing a fillet, who with his left draws forward an edge of the mantle over his left shoulder. He looks upward to left towards the third Hesperide, who is seated to left above the left handle, and looks round, holding up both hands as if they contained a taenia: she is dressed as the others, but wears a saccos. All the women wear earrings and necklace of beads, and bracelets. The vase is unusually light for its size. Fine style.
Below, a continuous band of egg-pattern; beneath each side handle, a palmette. The design curves up over the shoulder.
Source: Museum WEB notice # Vase E227
Attic red-figured hydria
Height 40 cm.
370 – 360 BC
From Cyrenaica, Libya
London, The British Museum – Vase E227
Herakles' 11th Labor: The Golden Apples of the Hesperides
This Red-figured hydria (water-jar) depicts Herakles in the garden of the Hesperides in a complete different way from the traditional mythical concern. The main scene lacks a sense of narrative and danger, with Heracles avoiding any exertion and waiting for Eros to give him the apples. This lack of action heightens the pictorial significance of the garden, and the idyllic nature of the setting is made palpable despite its restrained visual expression. The garden here represented is similar to the Garden of Delights. In the center is the tree of the golden apples, beside which, leaning his back against its trunk, Heracles, beardless, wearing a radiated fillet, is seated to right, upon his mantle, resting his right hand on his club, left on knee, with elbow on raised ground. He turns his head in three-quarter face to the left to look at Eros, who stands on his right upper arm, and with right arm raised as if picking fruit from the tree, offers Heracles with his left hand two apples painted white. He has short wavy hair, with fillet, and his wings are spread on either side. On the right on the ground level a beardless youth, Iolaos wearing a fillet and a mantle over his left arm, moves away, looking back with hands drawn back, palms outwards, with a gesture of great surprise. Above him, seated on a higher level to left, is Aphrodite (?), nude to the waist, leaning on her left arm and extending her right towards the tree: she wears a mantle around her legs and a sphendone. On the right on a lower level, but with her right hand on the shoulder of Aphrodite, a Hesperide stands looking on, leaning back on her left elbow: she wears a long Doric chiton with apoptygma and a saccos. On the left of Heracles a second Hesperide advances, dressed as the last, but with a sphendone, holding out towards him with both hands some object not shown. Behind her is seated to right on his mantle a youth wearing a fillet, who with his left draws forward an edge of the mantle over his left shoulder. He looks upward to left towards the third Hesperide, who is seated to left above the left handle, and looks round, holding up both hands as if they contained a taenia: she is dressed as the others, but wears a saccos. All the women wear earrings and necklace of beads, and bracelets. The vase is unusually light for its size. Fine style.
Below, a continuous band of egg-pattern; beneath each side handle, a palmette. The design curves up over the shoulder.
Source: Museum WEB notice # Vase E227
Attic red-figured hydria
Height 40 cm.
370 – 360 BC
From Cyrenaica, Libya
London, The British Museum – Vase E227