Labors of Hercules Bronze Sculpture, 17th Century
$38,500.00
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A rare example of late Renaissance sculpture, this impressive Italian bronze captures one of the greatest divine heroes of myth and legend: Hercules. The figure is rendered with stunning anatomical accuracy. With his legendary club raised, Hercules appears poised to strike an unknown foe, possibly the Dragon Ladon or the three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus. Graceful and dynamic, it is a stunning interpretation of the idealized forms and movements so prized in the greatest sculptures of the Italian Renaissance.
Modeled after a work by the famed Renaissance sculptor Giambologna (now held in the Bargello National Art Museum in Florence), the present bronze is based on one of the most popular myths from Greek mythology—the Labors of Hercules. The divine hero was a favorite of Renaissance artists and sculptors. Legendary for his physical strength, he also came to represent a moral fortitude. The Labors of Hercules in particular lend the mythological figure a strength and perseverance that seemed beyond the grasp of mortals.
The story of Hercules’ Labors begins in tragedy after the demi-god is driven mad (under the influence of Hera) and murders his family. As penance, he is given twelve seemingly impossible tasks by his rival, King Eurystheus of Tiryns. By overcoming all odds and completing these labors, Hercules achieved immortality and, ultimately, came to embody the Greek ideal of pathos, or virtuous suffering.
With limbs spiraling outwards from his torso, Hercules is captured here in barely contained, violent motion. Poised to strike, his muscles are clearly defined over his powerful physique, which is perfectly captured in the smooth surface of the bronze. Imposing, yet graceful, the bronze demonstrates why Hercules has endured as a symbol of strength and courage. With its highly dramatic pose and remarkable anatomical accuracy, the figure embodies the elegant and expressive tension of late Renaissance Mannerist works.
The present figure is perhaps the rarest of its kind; only one other is known from the period, having been sold from the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé at Christie’s Paris, February 23-25, 2009, for €51,400 ($66,820). Other period examples of Hercules’ Labors can be found in the Wallace Collection in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
Circa 1680
21 3/4" high x 10 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" deep
Labors of Hercules Bronze Sculpture, 17th Century
$38,500.00
Modeled after a work by the famed Renaissance sculptor Giambologna (now held in the Bargello National Art Museum in Florence), the present bronze is based on one of the most popular myths from Greek mythology—the Labors of Hercules. The divine hero was a favorite of Renaissance artists and sculptors. Legendary for his physical strength, he also came to represent a moral fortitude. The Labors of Hercules in particular lend the mythological figure a strength and perseverance that seemed beyond the grasp of mortals.
The story of Hercules’ Labors begins in tragedy after the demi-god is driven mad (under the influence of Hera) and murders his family. As penance, he is given twelve seemingly impossible tasks by his rival, King Eurystheus of Tiryns. By overcoming all odds and completing these labors, Hercules achieved immortality and, ultimately, came to embody the Greek ideal of pathos, or virtuous suffering.
With limbs spiraling outwards from his torso, Hercules is captured here in barely contained, violent motion. Poised to strike, his muscles are clearly defined over his powerful physique, which is perfectly captured in the smooth surface of the bronze. Imposing, yet graceful, the bronze demonstrates why Hercules has endured as a symbol of strength and courage. With its highly dramatic pose and remarkable anatomical accuracy, the figure embodies the elegant and expressive tension of late Renaissance Mannerist works.
The present figure is perhaps the rarest of its kind; only one other is known from the period, having been sold from the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé at Christie’s Paris, February 23-25, 2009, for €51,400 ($66,820). Other period examples of Hercules’ Labors can be found in the Wallace Collection in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
Circa 1680
21 3/4" high x 10 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" deep