Henry Fuseli

Hephaestus, Bia and Kratos securing Prometheus on Mount Caucasus

Hephaestus, Bia and Kratos securing Prometheus on Mount Caucasus by Henry Fuseli

Artwork Detail

Zeus, Greek father of the gods, punished Prometheus for creating the first man from clay and giving him fire, by having the Titan chained to a rock. Zeus is depicted in the top right corner with the eagle that then descends each day to feed on his liver. At first glance Bia might seem to comfort Prometheus's splayed figure, but in fact she steadies the stake that will be hammered through his chest, re-figuring an ongoing eighteenth-century fascination with vampires and the story of Vlad the Impaler. (Monsters and Maidens, 2004)

Title
Hephaestus, Bia and Kratos securing Prometheus on Mount Caucasus
Artist/creator
Henry Fuseli
Production date
circa 1800-circa 1810
Medium
pencil
Dimensions
359 x 302 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1965
Accession no
1965/80
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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