dark brown patina, on square ebonised wood base

F. D. Lyycett Green, York
Sold Sotheby's London 14 October 1960, lot 28
Alfred Spero Collection, London

This bronze is in good condition but does exhibit minor wear, scratches and surface dirt throughout consistent with age. There are remnants of an old dark lacquer which has been worn off. There is an old repair to Hercules' neck. Evidence of good, old plugs. Some very small green specks on Antaeus's right knee and some green on his face.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This bronze model of the nude Hercules struggling with Antaeus, whom he lifts off the ground by his waist, is one of the most admired of Giambologna's many groups of the classical hero.  The pose of the Hercules figure leaning back to support his adversary is derived from the antique marble group discovered prior to 1509 and now in the principle courtyard of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.  The Antaeus figure, however, is of Renaissance inspiration. Giambologna's Hercules and Antaeus bronze statuette in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. KK 5845) and formerly in the collection of Rudolph II is considered the prime version of this model. 

Giambologna's influence was great and many sculptors modelled and cast within his style.  As such, Hercules and Antaeus groups were produced in his workshop and by his contemporaries. The group in the Museo Nazionale, Bargello has been attributed to his assistant Gianfrancesco Susini (Weihrauch, 1967 p. 217) and that in the Louvre to Adrien de Vries.  The present bronze is attributed to a Florentine sculptor circa 1600 and is the same model as that in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-16502). They vary from the Kunsthistorisches bronze in the grip and articulation of Hercules's left hand as well as the manner in which Antaeus's left hand pushes down Hercules's head.  The present bronze evokes the spirit of Giambologna's conception as executed by a sculptor inspired by the master's genius.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Draper & W. Bode, The Italian Bronze Statuettes of the Renaissance, New York, 1980, CXXXV; J. Leeuwenberg, Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, 1973) no. 692, p. 399-400