Museum collection · Art Institute of Chicago · 111030
Architectural Relief Depicting the Gigantomachy (Battle Between Gods and Giants)
Etruscan, 3rd-2nd century BCE
Art Institute of Chicago · Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund · Public domain
- Artist
- Etruscan
- Date
- 3rd-2nd century BCE
- Medium
- Terracotta and pigment
- Dimensions
- 45.8 × 46 × 21.9 cm (18 1/16 × 18 1/8 × 8 5/8 in.)
- Era
- Museum collection
Why it matters
As the name suggests, the Gigantomachy was the struggle between and the Giants and the Olympian gods, who were led by Zeus. In flowing robes, a god and goddess capture a Giant, depicted with wings and serpent-like features, to deliver the final blow in this epic battle. These three animated figures were probably once part of a series of ornamental covers called antefixes, which were placed along the lowest row of roof tiles on a small building, probably a temple. Etruscans often decorated their buildings with brightly colored sculptural compositions based on Greek mythology.