The “Ion Jalea” Museum

Nicolae Grigorescu, Flori de nalbă, ulei pe carton, 300 x 170

„Hercules Defeating the Centaurus”

Plaster, 2560 x 2100 x 970 mm

Ion JALEA (1887–1983)

The sculpture „Hercules Defeating the Centaurus” is made of plaster and is based on a theme from ancient Greek mythology, which is inspired by the battles of Hercules with the centaurs, who were aroused by the smell of the wine that the hero drank in the cave of Pholus, one of the more famous feats of Hercules. Through his unusual strength and bravery, Hercules, who became the most famous hero in Greek mythology, was received among the gods after death and thus became immortal. His adversary, which the artist has masterfully represented, the Centaurus, embodies human and animal strength, united in one creature. Through this representation, the artist claims his belonging to a set of classical values, in which the hero has an ethical mission and, although he is often defeated by the force of circumstances, he shows a tenacity that imposes him as a benchmark. In the expressive modeling and bold spatial cutouts, one can feel the lesson of the two French sculptors, who decisively influenced the art of the 20th century, in whose studios the Romanian sculptor perfected his artistic formation: Antoine Bourdelle and Auguste Rodin. For the sculpture “Hercules defeating the Centaur”, in 1966, the artist was decorated with the Cultural Merit, First Class. A monumental version of this sculpture, which was made of marble, is located in Herăstrău Park, in Bucharest.