Hero

Copied William Henry Rinehart, Hero, modeled 1866, painted plaster, 33 182512 14 in. (84.263.531.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Peabody Institute, 1970.335.5
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Hero
Date
modeled 1866
Dimensions
33 182512 14 in. (84.263.531.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Peabody Institute
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted plaster
Classifications
Keywords
  • Mythology — classical — Hero
  • Object — other — lantern
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.