Нет ничего более постоянного, чем непредвиденное (Поль Валери)

Гидра. XV - XIX век

Print made by Léonard Gaultier 1589-1610 Portrait of Henri IV, whole-length, slightly turned to the left, wearing a richly ornate armour, and brandishing a sword with which he has just cut the Gordian knot; at his feet, on the right, the defeated hydra; illustration to Cappel's 'Maxime, prevue, articles, repliques et ofres' Engraving
Print made by Léonard Gaultier
1589-1610
Portrait of Henri IV, whole-length, slightly turned to the left, wearing a richly ornate armour, and brandishing a sword with which he has just cut the Gordian knot; at his feet, on the right, the defeated hydra; illustration to Cappel's 'Maxime, prevue, articles, repliques et ofres'
Engraving

Cornelis Cort. After Frans Floris. 1563
Cornelis Cort.
After Frans Floris. 1563

Лернейская гидра — мифическое чудовище, порожденное безобразным Тифоном и Ехидной, которая была наполовину прекрасная женщина, наполовину змея. У гидры, согласно Диодору, было сто голов, согласно Симониду — 50, и согласно наиболее признанному мнению Аполлодора — девять.

Но самым ужасным в ней было то, что, стоило отрубить одну голову, как на ее месте вырастали две другие. Легенда гласит, что головы были человеческими, а средняя из них была бессмертной. Дыхание гидры отравляло воду и сжигало посевы. Даже когда она спала, ядовитый воздух вокруг нее был смертелен для людей.

Made in Athens  Date 480BC-470BC (circa)
Made in Athens
Date
480BC-470BC (circa)

В древнегреческой мифологии Лерне́йская ги́дра (греч. Ὕδρα, «водяная») — дочь Тифона и Ехидны, змееподобное чудовище с ядовитым дыханием, обитавшее в подземных водах, убитое Гераклом (Геркулесом) в качестве одного из его двенадцати подвигов. Ее еще называли лернейской Ехидной

Этот многоглавый монстр — водяная змея — опустошал Лернейскую страну, находившуюся недалеко от Аргоса. Логово чудовища находилось среди болот, близ озера Лерны.
Под водой был вход в подземное царство мёртвых, который охранялся гидрой. Она жила на холме у источника Амимоны.

POLLAIUOLO, Antonio del Hercules and the Hydra c. 1475 Tempera on wood, 17 x 12 cm Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Второй подвиг Геракла(Геркулеса)
POLLAIUOLO, Antonio del
Hercules and the Hydra
c. 1475
Tempera on wood, 17 x 12 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Второй подвиг Геракла(Геркулеса)

По приказу царя Еврисфея Геракл и Иолай направились на поиски гидры и по совету Афины сразили ее.

Иолай прижигал гидре головы, ибо только огонь мог помешать вырасти новым головам, а Геракл поразил ее косой. Срубив бессмертную голову, Геракл зарыл ее в земле и навалил тяжелый камень у дороги, едущей через Лерну на Элеунт. По другой версии- похоронил под огромным утесом, где она, согласно мифу, пребывает до наших дней: то пышет ненавистью, то спит.

Когда Геракл сражался с гидрой, все звери были на его стороне, только рак вылез из болота и укусил его за ногу, но Геракл ногой раздавил его. Гера поместила рака на небо.

School of/style of Andrea Mantegna Date 1470-1500 Hercules and the hydra; stepping forward,  he lifts a club to strike the snake that wraps itself around his forearm Engraving
School of/style of Andrea Mantegna
Date
1470-1500
Hercules and the hydra; stepping forward,
he lifts a club to strike the snake that wraps itself around his forearm
Engraving

Print made by Jacopo Caraglio  After Rosso Fiorentino  Date 1520-1539
Print made by Jacopo Caraglio
After Rosso Fiorentino
Date
1520-1539

В желчи гидры Геракл смочил острия своих стрел. Совершая дальнейшие подвиги с другими зверями, Геракл наносил им смертельные раны стрелами, смоченными желчью гидры.

Есть версия, что Геракл пострадал от укусов гидры в местах, не защищенных шкурой льва, оракул велел ему идти на восток за цветком, в Финикии он нашел цветок лотоса, внешне похожий на гидру, и исцелился.

Еврисфей посчитал, что этот подвиг совершен не по правилам, поскольку Иолай помогал Гераклу прижигать отрубленные головы, и не засчитал его.

Гидра запечатлена на небе в одноименном созвездии - Зевс в честь этого подвига поместил ее на небо.

Христианская традиция несколько изменила символический образ гидры. Раннеренессансная гидра часто напоминает средневекового крылатого дракона — одноглавого и огнедышащего, персонифицирующего Сатану.

Print made by Gabriel Salmon  Date 1520-1530 Herakles fighting the Lernean Hydra. c.1528
Print made by Gabriel Salmon
Date
1520-1530
Herakles fighting the Lernean Hydra. c.1528

After Antonio Pollaiuolo  Print made by Cristofano Robetta  Date 1500-1520  Hercules and the Hydra, after Antonio Pollaiuolo; Hercules, nude except for the lion's skin, attacking the many-headed monster beside him with a burning torch; a cave in the left background; a hawk pouncing on a heron in mid-air
After Antonio Pollaiuolo
Print made by Cristofano Robetta
Date
1500-1520
Hercules and the Hydra, after Antonio Pollaiuolo; Hercules, nude except for the lion's skin, attacking the many-headed monster beside him with a burning torch; a cave in the left background; a hawk pouncing on a heron in mid-air.

Print made by Sebald Beham Hercules killing the Hydra; the Hydra at centre facing left to where Hercules is standing with his club lifted above his head, ready to strike; at right Jolaus singeing one of the hydra's necks with a torch; from a series of twelve engravings.  1545
Print made by Sebald Beham
Hercules killing the Hydra; the Hydra at centre facing left to where Hercules is standing with his club lifted above his head, ready to strike; at right Jolaus singeing one of the hydra's necks with a torch; from a series of twelve engravings.
1545

Hercules killing the Hydra of Lerna; from a series of six Herculean subjects after Rosso Fiorentino.

Print made by Anonymous Hercules standing holding his club and lion skin facing the hydra.  1552
Print made by Anonymous
Hercules standing holding his club and lion skin facing the hydra.
1552

Print made by Heinrich Aldegrever Plate 4: Hercules fighting the Hydra; standing at left with his club raised, about to hit out at the nine-headed monster standing in the entrance to a cave at right; from a series of thirteen engravings.  1550
Print made by Heinrich Aldegrever
Plate 4: Hercules fighting the Hydra; standing at left with his club raised, about to hit out at the nine-headed monster standing in the entrance to a cave at right; from a series of thirteen engravings.
1550

Print made by Joannes van Doetecum  After Hans Vredeman de Vries  Two scenes on one plate: Hercules resting from his labours with Achelous at left, the Nemean lion at his feet; Hercules fighting the Hydra of Lerna at right; after Hans Vredeman de Vries.  1562 Etching and engraving
Print made by Joannes van Doetecum
After Hans Vredeman de Vries
Two scenes on one plate: Hercules resting from his labours with Achelous at left, the Nemean lion at his feet; Hercules fighting the Hydra of Lerna at right; after Hans Vredeman de Vries.
 1562
Etching and engraving

Print made by Cornelis Cort After Frans Floris  Hercules defeats the Hydra of Lerna; Hercules raises his club to strike the multi-headed monster and another figure plunges a flaming torch at the creature; Hercules steps on a crab and a roadway beyond teems with the crustaceans; after Floris. 1563

Print made by Cornelis Cort After Frans Floris  Hercules defeats the Hydra of Lerna; Hercules raises his club to strike the multi-headed monster and another figure plunges a flaming torch at the creature; Hercules steps on a crab and a roadway beyond teems with the crustaceans; after Floris. 1563
Print made by Cornelis Cort
After Frans Floris
Hercules defeats the Hydra of Lerna; Hercules raises his club to strike the multi-headed monster and another figure plunges a flaming torch at the creature; Hercules steps on a crab and a roadway beyond teems with the crustaceans; after Floris.
1563

Print made by Giulio Bonasone Plate 92. Hercules killing the hydra of Lerma;  from a series of 150 engravings.  1555
Print made by Giulio Bonasone
Plate 92. Hercules killing the hydra of Lerma;
from a series of 150 engravings.
1555

After Frans Floris. 1563  Print made by Battista Franco  Date 1530-1561 Herucles at left raising a club to kill the Hydra of Lerna
After Frans Floris. 1563
Print made by Battista Franco
Date
1530-1561
Herucles at left raising a club to kill the Hydra of Lerna

Print made by Marco Angolo del Moro  Date 1537-1586 Hercules holding a club in his right hand approaching the Lernian Hydra.
Print made by Marco Angolo del Moro
Date
1537-1586
Hercules holding a club in his right hand approaching the Lernian Hydra.

After Marcus Gheeraerts I  1575-1600 Two ovals with episodes from the twelve labours of Hercules; at left, Hercules aims his club at Cacus who drags a cow away by the tail; at right, Hercules fights the Lernean Hydra
After Marcus Gheeraerts I
1575-1600
Two ovals with episodes from the twelve labours of Hercules; at left, Hercules aims his club at Cacus who drags a cow away by the tail; at right, Hercules fights the Lernean Hydra

Print made by Jan Harmensz. Muller  After Adriaen de Vries Date 1602  Hercules slaying the Hydra; he raises his club to strike the multi-headed monster; the pedestal incomplete and drawn in black chalk; after a statue atop a fountain by Adriaen de Vries Engraving touched in black chalk
Print made by Jan Harmensz. Muller
After Adriaen de Vries
Date
1602
Hercules slaying the Hydra; he raises his club to strike the multi-headed monster; the pedestal incomplete and drawn in black chalk; after a statue atop a fountain by Adriaen de Vries.
Engraving touched in black chalk.

Print made by Louis Chéron  Print made by Gerard van der Gucht  Date 1690-1725 Hercules, with raised club and wearing his lion skin, fighting the Lernaean hydra; a companion cauterizes a head with a burning torch.
Print made by Louis Chéron
Print made by Gerard van der Gucht
Date
1690-1725
Hercules, with raised club and wearing his lion skin, fighting the Lernaean hydra; a companion cauterizes a head with a burning torch.

After Peter Paul Rubens  1630  Hercules clubbing the Hydra (Envy) and crushing her underfoot; a winged putto with a wreath floats overhead; after Peter Paul Rubens Woodcut
After Peter Paul Rubens
1630
Hercules clubbing the Hydra (Envy) and crushing her underfoot; a winged putto with a wreath floats overhead; after Peter Paul Rubens.
Woodcut

Print made by Louis Chéron  Print made by Gerard van der Gucht  1690-1725 Hercules, with raised club and wearing his lion skin, fighting the Lernaean hydra; a companion cauterizes a head with a burning torch.
Print made by Louis Chéron
Print made by Gerard van der Gucht
1690-1725
Hercules, with raised club and wearing his lion skin, fighting the Lernaean hydra; a companion cauterizes a head with a burning torch.

Print made by Jean Charles Flipart  After Guido Reni 1700-1750 Hercules killing the Hydra, after Reni. 1690
Print made by Jean Charles Flipart
After Guido Reni
1700-1750
Hercules killing the Hydra, after Reni. 1690


Print made by Elisha Kirkall  1717 The life of Hercules, snaking across the page into the foreground, where he battles the minotaur, hydra and wrestles a man in front of a raging lion, with the gods in Olympus at the top of the page; illustration to Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', book VIII
Print made by Elisha Kirkall
1717
The life of Hercules, snaking across the page into the foreground, where he battles the minotaur, hydra and wrestles a man in front of a raging lion, with the gods in Olympus at the top of the page; illustration to Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', book VIII

Print made by Louis Desplaces After Giambologna  1710-1739 Hercules turning and killing the hydra with his club, after Giambologna
Print made by Louis Desplaces
After Giambologna
1710-1739

After Debonneval  Firework display round figures representing Hercules and Hydra; Dauphin and entourage form audience at bottom of scene. 1736
After Debonneval
Firework display round figures representing Hercules and Hydra; Dauphin and entourage form audience at bottom of scene. 1736

1770 Schools /Styles British
1770
Schools /Styles
British

RENI, Guido Hercules Vanquishing the Hydra of Lerma 1617-20 Oil on canvas, 260 x 192 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris
RENI, Guido
Hercules Vanquishing the Hydra of Lerma
1617-20
Oil on canvas, 260 x 192 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra 1490sParcel-gilt bronze, diameter: 32,7 cm Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra
1490sParcel-gilt bronze, diameter: 32,7 cm
Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

SARACCHI brothers Hercules and the Hydra 1570s Olive-mauve jasper cup with gold, enamel, pearls, diamond, rubies, height 34 cm Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence
SARACCHI brothers
Hercules and the Hydra
1570s
Olive-mauve jasper cup with gold, enamel, pearls, diamond, rubies, height 34 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence