BALTHASAR VAN DEN BOSSCHE | Elegant figures overseeing sculptors working on a statue of Hercules and Anateus in a palace courtyard

Comtesse Marie-Thérèse de la Béraudière (née Brocheton), Paris;

Her sale, New York, American Art Association, 11-12 December 1930, lot 62;

Anonymous sale, Bonn, Bödiger, 9 December 1960, lot 14 (as Anonymous, Dutch School, circa 1700) 

Anonymous sale, Cologne, Van Ham Kunstauktionen, 4 October 1961, lot 1402;

Anonymous sale, Munich, Weinmuller, 22 April 1970, lot 666;

Anonymous sale, Munich, Weinmuller, 24 Sept 1970, lot 1444;

Anonymous sale, Cologne, Van Ham, 24 June 1994, lot 1352 (as Circle of Balthasar van den Bossche);

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 21 October 1994, lot 105 (as Balthasar van der Bossche);

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's South Kensington, 23 February 1995, lot 205 (as Balthasar van der Bossche);

Anonymous sale, Lindau, Auktionshaus Michael Zeller, 1 December 2006, lot 1013 (as Balthasar van der Bossche);

Private collection, Germany.

Balthasar van den Bossche's favoured subjects were sculptors' and artists' studios, where renditions of famous, classical statues can often be noted. In the present example, a sculptor and two visitors discuss a marble statue of Hercules and Anateus situated in the loggia of a Renaissance mansion, while two assistants continue to work on the piece. Anateus was a giant who drew his strength from Gaia, the goddess of the Earth. Hercules battled with Anateus, who had challenged him to a fight, yet was unable to throw him off. Soon however, Hercules realised the source of the giant's immense strength, and held him far off the ground until his fortitude was drained and he was able to kill his enemy.