Vase, Hercules and the Minotaur

The product of King Minos of Crete's wife, Queen Pasiphaë, and a white bull provided to the king by Poseidon, the Minotaur was a much-feared monster who was doomed to wander the halls of the Labyrinth. Athenian youths were given to the Minotaur as human sacrifices until Hercules (or Theseus) slew the monster -- a scene depicted on this large and magnificent vase. Another scene depicts Hercules wearing the skin of the Nemean Lion capturing a deer.

Both scenes -- dramatically sculpted and beautifully glazed -- were created by Gaston Goor (1902-1977) for the Mougin Freres ceramic works. Goor was famous for illustrating a number of books by Roger Peyrefitte and others in France. He was deeply influenced by the paintings he found at the Louvre in his youth, and his work often depicts male figures with an implicit, or sometimes explicit, homoerotic theme.

The Mougin Freres firm was owned by Joseph and Pierre Mougin -- closely associated with the Ecole de Nancy -- who were known for ceramic pieces that are characterized by deep incised lines and gorgeous glazes.

The piece is well marked on the bottom. Model "190.J".