French Bronze Sculpture “Hercules Throwing Lichas” after Canova ca. 1850

AFTER ANTONIO CANOVA
Italian, 1757-1822

"Hercules Hurling Lichas into the Sea"

French, circa 1850 | patinated bronze | unmarked

16 3/8" H x 8" D x 10 1/4" W

Provenance: Estate of Rudolph Nureyev, acquired in 2008 for a private collection

A patinated bronze figural group depicting Hercules hurling Lichas into the sea after the celebrated marble by Antonio Canova. The composition derives from Canova’s monumental marble, begun in Rome in 1795 and completed in 1815, now preserved in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna. This bronze is a French cast from the second or third quarter of the nineteenth century in the early dimension that started to be executed from a now lost model brought to Paris starting in the 1830s. The model was incredibly popular and was initially cast by Ingè, the Soyer foundry and Delafontaine in this dimension before later being cast in larger dimensions by foundries in Rome and elsewhere. The present cast is not stamped by the foundry and dates from around the 1850s, perhaps slightly earlier. It is notable for its silky and translucent patina, the surface showing the original chemical treatments that brought out the fabulous complex hues of reds, browns and caramel tones while much of the surface also retains naturally achieved patina through oxidization. Raised on a naturalistic free-form base, it views beautifully from any angle.

Hercules is shown at the height of his fury, his powerful body twisted as he seizes the youthful Lichas by the ankle and prepares to cast him into the sea. The hero stands astride a lion’s pelt with his club astrewn on the ground, while the poisoned tunic is drawn across his lower torso. Lichas, nude and inverted, clings desperately to the base, his contorted form emphasizing his helplessness. The composition unfolds in a spiraling movement, the two bodies locked together in a continuous arc of tension that conveys both physical force and psychological extremity.

The subject is drawn from classical mythology. Lichas was the innocent messenger sent by Deianira, the wife of Hercules, to deliver a garment she believed would secure her husband’s love. Unbeknownst to her, the tunic had been poisoned by the blood of the centaur Nessus. When the poison began to burn Hercules’ flesh and drive him mad with pain, he turned his rage on Lichas and hurled him into the sea. Canova’s conception focuses not on the aftermath but on the moment of tragic misunderstanding, where divine strength and human suffering collide.

Identical examples of this cast are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Trust at Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Condition: Trace verdigris oxidization and accretion in crevices, notably within the recesses of Lichas's garment and along his uppermost shin. Rubbing and wear to patina throughout (see images, notably around the base, Lichas's upper leg, raised points throughout), including patina variation revealing underlying Roman pins. Original patina. A very fine presentation, ready to place.

ref. 512XSP18A