Description
A Roman sculptor (17th century) – Hercules and Cerberus.
Full figure carved in alabaster. Separate alabaster base.
The sculpture depicts the climactic moment of Hercules’ twelfth labor: the capture of Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the Underworld. The hero is shown in the act of subduing the beast, gripping it forcefully as the creature yields to his hold. The composition, dynamic and well-balanced in its volumes, reveals a direct knowledge of antique models and the Roman sculptural tradition, filtered through the Baroque taste of the 17th century. The vigorous yet restrained anatomical rendering of Hercules’ body, and the treatment of the alabaster surfaces, attest to a skilled sculptor active within the decorative and collecting production of Seicento Rome.
Condition report: Missing left foot and left arm, other minor losses and signs of age.
