Carved Green Serpentine Marble Grouping of Hercules & Nessus, After Giambologna

Description

Hand Carved 19th C. Green Serpentine Group of Hercules and Nessus, on Black Obsidian and Red Rouge Marble Base, After Giambologna The group is very finely carved in green serpentine and depicts Hercules standing over the centaur Nessus in a compact vertical composition. Hercules is shown nude, his torso twisting as he raises a club in his right hand above his head. His left hand presses down on the head of the centaur, forcing it against his bent knee. The centaur kneels on its forelegs with its human torso arched backward and its equine body braced beneath. The anatomy of both figures is fully modeled, with defined musculature, curled hair, and a textured beard. The surface of the serpentine displays natural dark and lighter green veining across the bodies, with polished areas highlighting the contours and recessed passages left with a softer finish. The rocky ground beneath the figures is carved with uneven planes and striated tool marks, forming an integral base for the group. The sculpture rests on a separate stepped plinth composed of black obsidian marble and a red marble base. The obsidian marble forms a flat intermediate platform with a smooth surface and sharp edges, contrasting with the textured rocky support above. The red marble plinth is shaped with molded edges and a broad rectangular footprint, providing structural stability. The combination of green serpentine for the figures, black obsidian marble for the upper base, and red marble for the lower plinth creates a tiered arrangement of distinct stone types, each clearly defined in color and finish. This sculptural group represents Hercules fighting the centaur Nessus and follows the celebrated marble composition by Giambologna, also known as Jean of Boulogne. Comparable versions are preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, where a related bronze is associated with Antonio Susini after Giovanni da Bologna, and in the Victoria and Albert Museum, which holds an almost identical composition. The present example corresponds closely in pose and figural arrangement to these documented works, rendering the Renaissance bronze model in carved marble and hardstone, and reflecting the continued production of this established composition in durable and precious materials. Giambologna (1529–1608) was a premier sculptor of the late Italian Renaissance, defined by his refined Mannerist style. His work is characterized by dramatic, complex, and artificial poses, such as the figura serpentinata (serpentine figure), elegant, elongated limbs, and, in his famous bronze statuettes, a focus on movement and multiple viewpoints.

Details

Dimensions