Hebe and the Eagle of Jupiter c. 1852 - 1880

This bronze sculpture of Hebe and the Eagle of Jupiter was created by François Rude. Cast bronze is an ancient material, allowing artists to create durable, repeatable forms. But each casting still requires the work of a skilled artisan. Rude would have started by sculpting a model, likely in clay or plaster. This was then used to create a mold for the molten bronze. The bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, would have been heated to a very high temperature, then poured into the mold. Once cooled, the mold would be broken away to reveal the raw casting. From there, the bronze would have been chased, or refined with tools to sharpen the details and remove imperfections. Finally, a patina would have been applied to give the bronze its dark color and protect the surface. The amount of labor involved in this process is immense, from the mining of the ore to the careful hand finishing. When you look at the sculpture, consider the labor that went into its making, and how the artist celebrated not only the beauty of the mythological figures, but the skill of the artisan.