Hercules and the Cattle of Geryon

late 15th - early 16th century

Moderno

Associated Names
Moderno

Artist, Veronese, 1467 - 1528

The sculpture is a bronze relief depicting a scene with a nude male figure in the center, noticeably muscular, and holding what appears to be a pair of bull horns, one with each hand. The man is facing away from the viewer, and his stance is wide and dynamic. Flanking him on either side are two bulls, depicted in profile and showing a sense of motion with one foot raised from the ground on each. The background features architectural elements, including arched doorways and stone walls. The color of the sculpture is a dark bronze, with subtle green patina present in some areas. The inscription "O. MODERNI" is carved at the top. The sculpture is rectangular in shape with a small hole at the top center.

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On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G16

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 7.16 × 5.44 cm (2 13/16 × 2 1/8 in.)
    gross weight: 49.41 gr (0.109 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.326

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1886

  • Molinier, Émile. Les Bronzes de la Renaissance. Les Plaquettes; Catalogue Raisonné. 2 vols. Paris, 1886:, 1:147-148, no. 201, repro.

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol. II, 151, no. 202, pl. 63.

1951

  • National Gallery of Art. Renaissance Bronzes: Statuettes, Reliefs and Plaquettes, Medals and Coins from the Kress Collection. Introduction by Perry B. Cott. Washington, 1951: 152.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: 43-44, no. 137, fig. 156.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 108, no. 22.

1989

  • Lewis, Douglas. "The Plaquettes of 'Moderno' and His Followers." Studies in the History of Art 22 (1989): 110-111, 109 fig. 3; 140, no. I.4.

2001

  • Palmer, Allison Lee. "The Walters' Madonna and Child Plaquette and Private Devotional Art in Early Renaissance Italy." The Journal of the Walters Art Museum 59 (2001): 76, 77 fig. 7, 83 n. 25.

2006

  • Bergbauer, Bertrand and Catherine Chédeau. Images en relief: La collection de plaquettes du Musée National de la Renaissance. Paris, 2006: 63.

  • Leino, Marika. "Italian Renaissance plaquettes and Lombard architectural monuments." Arte Lombarda nuova serie 146/148, 1-3 (2006): 115-116, 118 fig. 22.

2013

  • Leino, Marika. Fashion, Devotion and Contemplation: The Status and Functions of Italian Renaissance Plaquettes. Oxford, 2013: 123, 124 fig. 73, 149.

2021

  • Luchs, Alison. "The Marcello Inkstand: Personalizing serial bronzes in a Paduan Renaissance workshop." Colnaghi Studies Journal, Articles in Honour of Charles Avery, 8 (March 2021): 50, 53 fig. 6.

Inscriptions

across top, in cast-in raised lettering: .O[PUS].MODERNI (The work of Moderno)

Markings

Reverse bears former owner’s mark(?) A in upper left corner; and also formerly bore previous inventory numbers 154 in red paint (Dreyfus) and 202 in yellow paint (Ricci 1931); numerals removed during 1982 cleaning.

Wikidata ID

Q63815095

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