"18th Century Overdoor – Oil On Canvas, Mythological Subject: Hercules And Antaeus"
Molded and painted wooden overdoor, incorporating an oil on canvas stretched over its original frame. The painting, treated in muted tones, represents the fight of Hercules against Antaeus, in a wooded landscape enlivened by a few touches of light. The frame has a scalloped molding typical of 18th-century decorative woodwork. The canvas, nailed in its recess, has not been dismantled. The reverse reveals an old patina, with traces of drips and use. The whole forms a decorative panel of character, designed to be integrated into wall woodwork or as a door transom.
Subject depicted: Hercules confronts Antaeus, the giant son of Gaia, whom he lifts up to break his bond with the nourishing earth and thus defeat him. A scene borrowed from Greco-Roman mythology, often used in classical settings with a moral or heroic vocation.