Crowning of Hercules
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash and red chalk, on cream laid paper, tipped on tan wove card
Dimensions
27.9 × 21 cm (11 × 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
4291
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Crowning of Hercules*, exquisite preparatory drawing by Paolo de Matte, a Neapolitan artist active during the late Baroque period (. 1660–1728). This undated work captures a triumphant moment from classical mythology, where the hero Hercules receives divine honors, likely evoking his legendary labors and apotheosis. De Matteis, known for his dramatic history paintings and frescoes for noble patrons, infused his compositions with dynamic energy and theatrical grandeur, hallmarks of the Baroque style that bridged the High Baroque of Caravaggio's followers and the emerging Rococo. Cr...