Francesco Bertos 1678-1741 Italian, Venice, 18th century

C. Avery, The Triumph of Motions: Francesco Bertos (1678-1741) and the Art of Sculpture. Catalogue Raisonne, Turin, 2008, cat. no. 37, p. 176, and figs. 23-24.

Overall the condition of the marble is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. Some naturally occurring veining is visible, particularly at Lichas' left lower leg and Hercules left ankle. There are some minor chips to the toes of both Hercules' feet and the left foot of Lichas, the foliage at the right foot of Hercules and the ends of the fluttering drapery their heads. There has been a restoration to the index finger of the left hand of Lichas, there are restored cracks at the wrist of Lichas' right hand and at the drapery it clutches and there is a repair to the neck of Lichas.
"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."

The Venetian sculptor Francesco Bertos has long been recognized as the foremost bronze sculptor active in Venice in the 18^th century, and one of the most original – and most bizarre – minds in the history of European sculpture. He is particularly well known for his circus-like pyramids of allegorical figures, in which on the one hand the Baroque art of allegorical personifications culminates, while on the other hand the choice of subjects reflects the proto-illuministic compulsion to systematically classify human knowledge, as it is evident in Linné's botanical nomenclature and a few years later in Diderot's and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie.

Charles Avery's recent monograph on Bertos has fully established the artist's position in the history of European sculpture. Thanks to Avery's research, one segment of Bertos's activity, which was hitherto much neglected – his activity as a  marble sculptor – emerges as one of the most interesting aspects, and one in which Bertos excelled even on a purely technical level. This marble of Hercules and Lichas epitomizes the sculptor's ability to show the muscular male nude in athletic action.

The episode of Hercules and Lichas is taken from the final moment of the ancient myth. Far from being a heroic deed, it shows Hercules' madness and death, which was also chosen by Seneca for his Hercules play. After Hercules was sent his shirt tainted with Nessus's blood by his wife Deianira, who had hoped that the centaur's blood would have aphrodisiac effects on him, it turned out to be poisonous. The marble shows Hercules throwing his servant Lichas - who had brought the shirt to his master - into the ocean, with the mortiferous garment waving in the wind. With its many undercuttings it shows Bertos's virtuosity in marble carving as well as his inventiveness in treating a subject that should demonstrate  Hercules' physical power for the last time.