Hendrik Pola’s etching, “Statue of Hercules with the Celestial Vault”, c1710

Hendrik Pola (aka Heinrich Pola) (1676–1748)

“Statue of Hercules with the Celestial Vault” (aka “Standbeeld van Hercules met het hemelgewelf”; “Hercules Relieving Atlas of the Globe”), c1710 (Rijksmuseum dating c1705–c1713), published in The Hague.

Note that the portrayed sculpture possibly references the marble “Farnese Atlas”—a Roman copy of a Greek sculpture of the 2nd cent. BCE—but there are significant differences (see http://www.electrummagazine.com/2016/09/the-farnese-atlas/). Regarding historical precedents for referencing the “Farnese Atlas”, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) executed a pen and ink drawing, “Hercules Relieving Atlas of the Globe”, c1530 (NGA collection; see https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.106369.html), that was no doubt also inspired by this sculpture.

Etching with engraving on laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 29.5 x 16.1 cm; (plate) 28.2 x 15.4 cm; (image borderline) 27.9 x 14.8 cm.

Inscribed in plate with the artist’s monogram of ligature initials: (lower left corner) “HP[/R].F[ecit]”

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(Transl.) “Landscape with statue of Hercules who temporarily takes over the burden of Atlas' vault of heaven when the latter fetches for him the golden apples of the Hesperides. He wears a lion skin around his shoulders” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.165848).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is age-toned, otherwise it is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this finely executed and exceptionally rare etching—in fact, I have been unable to fine another copy of this print with the artist’s monogram in any of the major repositories!—for the total cost of AU$322 (currently US$238.10/EUR205.93/GBP176.65 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this very beautiful etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold