Hebe et l'aigle de Jupiter

Hebe et l'aigle de Jupiter is a marble sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon that depicts the goddess Hebe holding a cup as an eagle reaches toward it. The composition captures the classical moment of divine nectar being presented.

Francois Rude began the work in 1852, but after his death in 1855, his student Paul Cabet took over and completed it in 1857. This collaboration across generations shows how the artistic vision was passed forward.

Names of classical writers like Homer and Ovid are inscribed on the base, connecting the work to literary sources that shaped this theme across centuries. These references anchor the sculpture within the European artistic tradition.

The work is in the permanent collection at the museum in central Dijon and is easy to locate within the main galleries. Visitors should allow time to examine the fine details and appreciate the craftsmanship and symbolic elements throughout the piece.

The eagle extends its wings toward Hebe's cup, symbolizing Jupiter's physical presence in this scene through the form of his sacred bird. This detail reveals how Rude conveys the mythological story through a subtle yet powerful visual connection.