Yesterday we sent you information about the return of a stolen statue
to the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.  Following is a press Release by the
Rijksmuseum Press Office.

STOLEN SCULPTURE RETURNS TO RIJKSMUSEUM AFTER 30 YEARS

'Hercules' by the Dutch sculptor Willem van Tetrode recently returned
to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. This 16th century sculpture, which is
made of bronze and is 39.5 cm high, was stolen from the Rijksmuseum on
17 October 1968. Last year it reappeared in a Swiss local auction
house. A staff member at Sotheby's Zurich recognized it as the
sculpture missing from the Rijksmuseum. Sotheby's notified the
Rijksmuseum and negotiated this very valuable item's return free of
charge. The Hercules will be on view at the Rijksmuseum again from 11
April.

The bronze (ca. 1568-1573) is among the four known versions in the
world and the only one in a public collection. It is a classic example
of 16th century miniature sculpture. The item's size and subject must
have appealed to commissioning agents and collectors alike. In its day
it was well-known and influenced art by the painter and engraver
Goltzius and others. Hercules is easily recognizable by the club in
his right hand. In his left hand he holds the three apples symbolizing
the golden apples of the Hesperides, which grew on a tree guarded by a
dragon. Hercules slew the dragon to obtain the apples. These apples
indicate that the statue is a 'Hercules Pomarius'.

Among the four known versions, the one in the Rijksmuseum has the
finest detail. The features reflect very careful workmanship, and the
bronze has a lovely warm brown patina. The museum owns one other
statue by Van Tetrode, whose work is extremely rare.


For interviews, photographs of the statue and additional
information, contact:

Rijksmuseum
Press Office
Postbus 74888
1070 DN  Amsterdam

phone: + 31(20) 673 21 21
fax: + 31 (0)20 6798146
mailto:[log in to unmask]



============
The Museum Security Network
dedicated to all aspects of cultural property protection
http://museum-security.org/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
join the mailinglist:
mailto:[log in to unmask], or:
http://museum-security.org/mailing.html#form
========================