Jean Joseph Vinache, 1696-1754

Fabius Frères, Paris; Daniel Katz gallery, London, 1987, where it was acquired by the present owner; private collection, England.

J-R. Gaborit, G. Bresc-Bautier, Sculpture française II - Renaissance et temps modernes, vol. 2, Paris, 1998, p. 610.

Overall the condition of the marble group is very good with minor surface dirt, particularly in the crevices, consistent with age and handling. There are a few natural inclusions. There are a few minor chips to the high points, for example to the garland of flowers behind Hercules and to the tip of Cupid's proper right wing and to the flame on the top of Hercules's stick. A small vertical red mark due to a superficial rubbing to the surface (about 2 cm) is visible to the rocky base behind Hercules, slightly to his proper left side, and another horizontal dark one to the rock base as well, on Hercules's proper right side. These two superficial marks could be easily removed. A small translucent brown stain is visible to the inner side of Hercules's proper left stretched leg, which could be easily removed as well. The varied treatment of the polished surface and the masterful carving of the marble are perfectly preserved.
"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.
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Probably trained by his father, the Neapolitan founder Giuseppe Vinaccia (1653-1717), Jean-Joseph was called to the court of Dresden in 1728 to complete the equestrian monument for Augustus the Strong, left unfinished by François Coudray (1678-1727). During his stay, he produced several works for the court of Saxony, including his famous bronze Apollo Leaning on his Lyra in the Dresden museum, a terracotta version of this subject is in the Louvre (inv.n° F3082). Admitted to the Royal Academy on his return to Paris in 1736, he was received in 1741 with the presentation of his morceau de réception, the marvellous marble Hercules Enslaved by Love (Louvre, inv.n°M.R. 2114). He exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1738 to 1747 and worked regularly for the King's buildings, notably Versailles. Amongst his major works, are the marble of The Angel Whipping Idolatry paired with the group Religion Instructing an Indian by Nicolas-Sébastian Adam (Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, Paris).

The subject is based on one of the Labours of Hercules. The oracle of Apollo condemned Hercules to sell himself as a slave to Omphale, the Queen of Lydia, in order to redeem himself from a murder. Subdued by his tyrannical mistress, Hercules abandons his masculine attributes of the lion's pelt and mace to dress like a woman and arm himself with a spindle to spin wool. After having imposed many labours, the Queen frees Hercules in order to marry him. This myth of the virile hero yielding to the woman's whims by way of atonement for a crime was taken up by Sophocles, and Ovid in a humorous manner. This subject has often been associated with the representation of Omphale taking possession of Hercules's attributes, in a perfect reversal of the gender roles, such as in the bronze by Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652-1725) in the Victoria & Albert Museum (A.9-1956). The impressive rendering of Hercules's powerful musculature in the present marble is enhanced by the way in which light highlights his powerful anatomy. His physical strength contrasts with the manner in which he turns hesitantly towards the light footed Cupid. The varied treatment of the polished marble masterfully differentiates the surfaces: the smooth grain of the skin, the silky hair composed of large curls, the majestic mane of the lion's pelt, or even the delicate feathering of Cupid's wings. More than ten years after his morceau de réception, Vinache adapted the model at the end of his life and three additional marbles are known: the first dated 1752 (Christie's New York, 10 January 1995, lot 53), our marble and one formerly in the Karl Lagerfeld collection (Christie's Monaco, 28-29 April 2000, lot 16), both dated 1754. The presence of a bow as one of Hercule's attributes in the present marble indicates an important difference with the other known models. The existence of these various versions of Hercules Enslaved by Love emphasize the importance of the subject for Vinache and its success with contemporary collectors. It is possible that the sculptor may have been conceived this group of Hercules to be paired with another representing Omphale.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Lami, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de l'école française au XVIIIe siècle, t. 2, Paris, 1911 (rééd. 1970), pp. 397-397; J-R. Gaborit, G. Bresc-Bautier, Sculpture française II - Renaissance et temps modernes, vol. 2, Paris, 1998, p. 610; Eva Turbat, Jean-Joseph Vianche (1696-1754), mémoire de maîtrise, Paris-Sorbonne, 2001.