Hercules and the Nemean Lion

late 15th - early 16th century

Attributed to Moderno

Associated Names
Moderno

Sculptor, Veronese, 1467 - 1528

The sculpture portrays a muscular human figure and a lion engaging in a physical struggle. The human is kneeling and facing the lion, with both arms wrapped around the animal's front legs. The lion is positioned on its side, with its body curled around the human. The sculpture is made of bronze with a brown color and patina. It features textured details like the curly hair of the man and the flowing mane of the lion. The scene is enclosed within a rectangular plaque with a notch at the top.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Dark brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 7.85 × 6.6 cm (3 1/16 × 2 5/8 in.)
    gross weight: 138.81 gr (0.306 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.318

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, 194.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 179.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 109, no. 28.

1989

  • Lewis, Douglas. "The Plaquettes of 'Moderno' and His Followers." Studies in the History of Art 22 (1989): 131, 132, repro.

Markings

Reverse formerly bore previous inventory numbers 151 in red paint (Dreyfus) and 194 in yellow paint (Ricci 1931); numerals removed in 1982 cleaning.

Wikidata ID

Q63814946

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