Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra

late 15th - early 16th century

Moderno

Associated Names
Moderno

Artist, Veronese, 1467 - 1528

The sculpture depicts two figures: a man and a creature with a human-like upper body and snake-like lower body. The man is nude, exhibiting a strong, muscular build, and is positioned in a dynamic stance, with one arm raised and holding the creature by its hair. The creature appears to be female, with intricate details in the long, serpentine curls of her hair that end in snake heads, and her tail is coiled on the ground. Both figures are crafted within a rectangular frame. The sculpture is composed of a dark, metallic material that gives it a glossy finish. The figures emerge in relief from the flat background.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Very dark patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 9.65 × 7.79 cm (3 13/16 × 3 1/16 in.)
    gross weight: 150.8 gr (0.332 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.317

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

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol.II, 193.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 178.

2011

  • Rossi, Francesco. La collezione Mario Scaglia: placchette. 3 vols. Bergamo, 2011: 1:159, under Prototipo, M.12, as by the Master of the Labors of Hercules.

Wikidata ID

Q63815088

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