Hercules and Achelous

Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The feats of Hercules provided sculptors with an opportunity to explore the power of the male figure in intricate action. This large group, carved fully in the round, shows the struggle between the mythological hero and one of his foes-either Antaeus or Achelous, a river god who transformed from man to bull to serpent. This work and two others in the case are attributed to an anonymous artist who carved two large relief scenes depicting the Early Christian saint Sebastian assailed by Roman bowmen. This master's work is characterized by violent and exaggerated movements, extreme emotions, and a fanatical delineation of physical details.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art