Lot Essay
The present bronze is freely adapted from the representation of the same subject in the series of bronzes of the Labours of Hercules by Giambologna, the best version of which is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (London, op. cit., p. 126, no. 79). Unsurprisingly, the present model was also traditionally attributed to Giambologna until Radcliffe (1976, op. cit., passim) suggested that it was the work of Ferdinando Tacca.
It is one of an incomplete series of the Labours of Hercules, which are nearly twice the size of the Giambologna series. In all, five Labours are known, invariably in small numbers of good early examples. There are two other versions of the present bronze, one in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the other in the Louvre (London, op. cit., p. 127, no. 80). This latter is accompanied by a unique version of Hercules with the Arcadian Stag. Both are engraved with French royal inventory numbers, which correspond with the listing of Louis XIV's collection in 1713. Another French royal bronze, representing Hercules and Achelous was in the sale of property from the estate of Wendell Cherry, Sotheby's, New York, 20th May 1994, lot 45. Another version of the same model in gilt bronze, together with a Hercules and Nessus, is in the Wallace Collection, London (Mann, loc. cit.). Finally, a unique bronze of Hercules supporting the Heavens is in the Robert H. Smith Collection (Radcliffe, loc. cit.). The majority of these groups are set on 'landscaped' bases, whose type and punched surfaces are typical of Ferdinando Tacca.
However, it has long been known that in 1612 Pietro Tacca was making models of Labours of Hercules to the orders of the Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, whose sculptor he had been since the death of Giambologna (Lo Vullo Bianchi, loc. cit.). Recently, Anthea Brook has found documents which demonstrate that in 1614, by then together with Orazio Mochi and Andrea di Michelangelo Ferrucci, Pietro Tacca was working on a series of Labours as a gift for the King of England (James I) from Cosimo (Radcliffe, 1994, loc. cit.). Their given height of one and a half braccie (87.6cm.), furthermore, roughly corresponds with the height of the more upright bronzes in the series under consideration. Much later, another document of 1633 records 'cinque forze d'Ercole cioe modelli per farsi di bronzo quali dovevano servire per il re dinghilterra' ('five labours of Hercules that is models to be made into bronzes which ought to have served for the King of England') by Pietro Tacca. In consequence, it now seems clear that the inventor of the large scale series of Labours was Pietro Tacca, and equally clear that they had not been cast by 1633-4. Pietro died in 1640, and was succeeded as granducal sculptor by his son, Ferdinando. It would seem that Ferdinando was responsible for casting the models, which would explain those technical and stylistic features which in 1976 led Radcliffe to associate the bronzes with known works by him. Although a certain ambiguity is caused by references in the documents of 1633-4 to five models but also to twelve Labours, it seems likely that Pietro Tacca's contribution to the large-scale series only ever numbered five models, especially in view of the involvement of two other sculptors.
The major differences between Pietro's solution and Giambologna's are that the boar is the other way round, and that the hero seems far more comfortable with his burden. Giambologna's Hercules bows his head and twists his upper body under the weight of the animal, and uses his club to support its carcase. Pietro's Hercules, by contrast, stands upright, with his legs well planted, and only requires one hand to maintain the beast in place. His left hand rests on his hip, ostensibly to support the weight-bearing shoulder above, but does so with an elegance that is not exclusively realistic in intention.
It is one of an incomplete series of the Labours of Hercules, which are nearly twice the size of the Giambologna series. In all, five Labours are known, invariably in small numbers of good early examples. There are two other versions of the present bronze, one in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the other in the Louvre (London, op. cit., p. 127, no. 80). This latter is accompanied by a unique version of Hercules with the Arcadian Stag. Both are engraved with French royal inventory numbers, which correspond with the listing of Louis XIV's collection in 1713. Another French royal bronze, representing Hercules and Achelous was in the sale of property from the estate of Wendell Cherry, Sotheby's, New York, 20th May 1994, lot 45. Another version of the same model in gilt bronze, together with a Hercules and Nessus, is in the Wallace Collection, London (Mann, loc. cit.). Finally, a unique bronze of Hercules supporting the Heavens is in the Robert H. Smith Collection (Radcliffe, loc. cit.). The majority of these groups are set on 'landscaped' bases, whose type and punched surfaces are typical of Ferdinando Tacca.
However, it has long been known that in 1612 Pietro Tacca was making models of Labours of Hercules to the orders of the Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, whose sculptor he had been since the death of Giambologna (Lo Vullo Bianchi, loc. cit.). Recently, Anthea Brook has found documents which demonstrate that in 1614, by then together with Orazio Mochi and Andrea di Michelangelo Ferrucci, Pietro Tacca was working on a series of Labours as a gift for the King of England (James I) from Cosimo (Radcliffe, 1994, loc. cit.). Their given height of one and a half braccie (87.6cm.), furthermore, roughly corresponds with the height of the more upright bronzes in the series under consideration. Much later, another document of 1633 records 'cinque forze d'Ercole cioe modelli per farsi di bronzo quali dovevano servire per il re dinghilterra' ('five labours of Hercules that is models to be made into bronzes which ought to have served for the King of England') by Pietro Tacca. In consequence, it now seems clear that the inventor of the large scale series of Labours was Pietro Tacca, and equally clear that they had not been cast by 1633-4. Pietro died in 1640, and was succeeded as granducal sculptor by his son, Ferdinando. It would seem that Ferdinando was responsible for casting the models, which would explain those technical and stylistic features which in 1976 led Radcliffe to associate the bronzes with known works by him. Although a certain ambiguity is caused by references in the documents of 1633-4 to five models but also to twelve Labours, it seems likely that Pietro Tacca's contribution to the large-scale series only ever numbered five models, especially in view of the involvement of two other sculptors.
The major differences between Pietro's solution and Giambologna's are that the boar is the other way round, and that the hero seems far more comfortable with his burden. Giambologna's Hercules bows his head and twists his upper body under the weight of the animal, and uses his club to support its carcase. Pietro's Hercules, by contrast, stands upright, with his legs well planted, and only requires one hand to maintain the beast in place. His left hand rests on his hip, ostensibly to support the weight-bearing shoulder above, but does so with an elegance that is not exclusively realistic in intention.