Hercules the Archer

Hercules Sagittarius is generally regarded as Bourdelles most important work. Of the eight copies that were cast in the first version, this is the fourth copy and the only one in Belgium. The work has a special artistic value because of the spontaneous representation of combined forces with the heroic mythological theme. Because of the movement and tension, the space is involved in the image. Following the success of the work at the Salon de la Société Nationale des BeauxArts in Paris in 1910, Bourdelle was entrusted with the decoration of the new Théâtre des ChampsElysées. In this sense, the image has a major link function in the creation of Bourdelle's oeuvre.