In Greek mythology Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera, was goddess of youth and cupbearer to the gods. When she fell and spilled the cup of nectar, she was disgraced and replaced as cupbearer by Zeus’s lover Ganymede. Throughout his career Calder Marshall was drawn to ideal sculpture illustrating classical, Biblical or other literary subjects. This group was executed in Rome while he was studying there from 1836 to 1838.