Circle of Giovanni Maria Nosseni (1544-1620) German or Bohemian, 17th century

Carl Eduard, Duke of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha, Schloss Friedenstein, Herzogliche Museum, Gotha;
with Kunsthandel Heilbronner, Berlin;
Weininger collection, New York;
by whom sold, Christie's London, 5 December 1972, lot 40 (as Adriaen de Vries);
where it was acquired by the present owner

W. D. Wixon, Renaissance bronzes from Ohio collections, exhib. cat. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1975, no. 224 (referenced)

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age, including a few minor nicks and scratches. There are a few very small lacunae, including to between the legs (reverse) and a slight casting flaw under the proper right arm. There are some wax residues to the club.
"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 present Hercules is only known in two casts and is remarkable for the attention to the musculature of his curved body. These features, along with the figure's strain suggested by the intent gaze to the left, are distinctly Mannerist. As such it is not surprising that the present cast was attributed to Adriaen de Vries in the Weininger sale and that Avery mentioned the likeness with Willem van Tetrode's models in correspondence about the second cast of the bronze at Oberlin College (op.cit., Wixom, no. 224).

The exaggerated pose of Hercules suggests that it may have been designed to lean over a cartouche with a coat of arms or portrait from a heraldic ensemble, similar to the figures in Hans von Aachen's painted Portrait of a coin cutter in Augsburg, or his engraved portrait of Emperor Rudolf II, illustrated by DaCosta Kaufmann (op.cit.). The Mannerist style and elaborate heraldry shaped much of the artistic output at the courts of Rudolf II in Prague and the North European nobility that sought to emulate the Emperor.

The Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, from where the present bronze stems, was one of the noble families to employ the Swiss architect, sculptor, and former courtier at the Prague court, Giovanni Maria Nosseni, to design buildings and monuments according to the latest fashion. Similar slender figures of Hercules flank a cartouche on the frieze of the Saxon ducal tomb by Nosseni in Freiberg. A bronze figure of the Risen Christ attributed to Nosseni by Antonovich (op.cit.) shows very similar treatment treatment of the limbs in particular.

RELATED LITERATURE
W.D. Wixom, Renaissance bronzes from Ohio collections, exhib. cat. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1975, no. 224; T. DaCosta Kaufmann, The School of Prague. Painting at the court of Rudolf II, Chicago, 1988, pp. 136-137 and 147-148, nos. 1.10 and 1.43; F. Antonovich, L'art à la cour de Rodolphe II, Empereur du Saint Empire Romain Germanique. Prague et son rayonnement, Paris, 1992, no. 164