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William Henry Rinehart, Hero, modeled 1866, painted plaster, 33 1⁄8 x 25 x 12 1⁄4 in. (84.2 x 63.5 x 31.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Peabody Institute, 1970.335.5
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Hero
- Artist
- Date
- modeled 1866
- Location
- Dimensions
- 33 1⁄8 x 25 x 12 1⁄4 in. (84.2 x 63.5 x 31.0 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Peabody Institute
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- painted plaster
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Object — other — lantern
- Mythology — classical — Hero
- Object Number
- 1970.335.5
Artwork Description
William Henry Rinehart first conceived of this figure in 1858, when he began work on her companion piece Leander. Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Every evening, her lover, Leander, swam across the straits to be with her, guided by a lantern she held aloft. One night, a storm blew out her lamp and Leander drowned. In her anguish, Hero jumped into the sea to join him. Rinehart depicted the moment when Hero realizes that Leander is dead.