| Date | early 20th century (plaster cast), 2nd century AD (original) |
|---|---|
| Object type | plaster cast |
| Medium, technique | plaster |
| Dimensions | 115 x 97 x 29 cm |
| Inventory number | Ag.207 |
| Collection | Classical Antiquites - Plaster casts |
| On view | Star Fortress (Komárom), Famous Sculptures from the Hellenistic Period (Third to First Centuries BC) and their Reception, Gallery IX |
The unrivalled beauty of Ganymede, already mentioned in the Iliad, led Zeus to choose him as the cup-bearer of the gods. According to the myth Zeus sent an eagle (or took the form of an eagle) to take the boy to Olympus. The statue in the Vatican must follow a famous bronze attributed to Leochares, which, although lost, can be reconstructed through its Roman adaptations and an ancient description. These suggest that the eagle seemed aware of the treasure it had found, and snatched the boy gently. The boy also aspires towards the sky: his feet barely touch the ground, and he has left his dog behind staring after him.
Süvegh, Eszter, Katalógus. Kiemelt művek a Szépművészeti Múzeum antik, középkori és reneszánsz gipszmásolat-gyűjteményéből,: In: Szőcs M. (szerk.): Egy gyűjtemény újjászületése: a Szépművészeti Múzeum gipsz szobormásolatai a megújult komáromi Csillagerődben., Budapest, no. Nr. 15.
Hekler, Antal, Az antik gipszgyűjtemény I-II., Budapest, 1919-1920, 1923, no. no. 344.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
