46
Hercules and the centaur Nessus, Italy or France, 17th-18th century
Bronze with brown patina
sculpture: 45 x 35 x 12 cm
This fine casting represents a popular subject in the Renaissance: Hercules fighting against the centaur Nessus. The reference model is the marble sculpture created by Giambologna, now in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, later translated into bronze by the same master and his school.
The fight scene is caught at its climax and is extremely violent. The rendering of the faces, with the respective expressions of hatred and terror, is described in a masterful way as well as the anatomical details.
Some slight imperfections of the casting, in particular under the feet and in some points of the surface, underline the antiquity of the piece.
Live auction 306
Sculpture and Small Bronzes from 15th to 19th Century
Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, fri 28 June 2024
SINGLE SESSION 28/06/2024 Hours 16:00