Hercules and the Nemean Lion

18th century

Italian 18th Century

Associated Names
Italian 18th Century

Artist

The sculpture depicts two muscular male figures and an animal within a circular frame. One of the figures is holding a club, while the other is standing with a confident stance. The animal appears to be in a submissive position on its back between the two men. The piece is crafted from a bronze material. The sculpture's details and the positioning of the figures suggest a sense of dynamic interaction frozen in time, with the figures appearing lifelike and in proportion to one another. The circular setting creates a contained, focused scene that draws attention to the central action.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (oval): 4.3 x 4.8 cm (1 11/16 x 1 7/8 in.) gross weight: 22 gr

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.550

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, 416.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 273.

Inscriptions

across bottom in exergue in Greek: Apollonides

Wikidata ID

Q63814901

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