Attributed to Gianfrancesco Susini (1585-1653) Italian, Florence, early 17th century After a model by Giambologna (1529-1608)

Private Collection, Switzerland
Daniel Katz Ltd., London, 1983, from whom acquired by the present owner 

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are a few minor nicks to the bronze, particularly around the base. The dark brown lacquer only remains in the crevices. The figure was cast in separate pieces; joints are slightly visible at both shoulders and at the club just under the hand.
"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."

In 1576 Francesco I commissioned Giambologna to model the six Labours of Hercules in silver for the Tribuna of the Uffizi gallery, none of which are known to have survived. They were cast by the court goldsmith, Michele Mazzafirri, who was paid for casting the silver version of the present composition in 1582.  Giambologna's wax of Hercules and the Learnaen Hydra, formerly in the collection of his patron Bernardo Vecchietti at the villa Il Riposo, may be identical with one now in the Loeser Bequest, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. Bronze versions of these models appear to have been cast shortly after the original silver series, as is indicated by the presence of two of the Labours in bronze in the collection of Rudolph II of Prague by 1607-11. 

The treatment of the present example, especially in the punching on the rock work base, golden colour and cold work resembles the Hercules Slaying the Centaur in the Quentin collection, which  Wengraf attributed to Gianfrancesco Susini. The present bronze also compares well to the four Labours of Hercules acquired by the Earl of Middleton in the 18th century and now in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland. Other versions of the present bronze include one which was recorded in the collection of Louis XIV in 1684 (current location unknown), one which was offered at Christie's, London, on 11 April 1990 (attributed to Antonio Susini) and another formerly in the possession of Durlacher Brothers, London, when it was published by Bode, Italian Bronze Statuettes of the Renaissance III, 1912, p. 10, fig. 13.

RELATED LITERATURE
Giambologna 1529-1608. Sculptor to the Medici, Arts Council of Great Britian, exh. cat. Edinburgh, London, 1978, no. 76, Vienna, 1979; C. W. Foch, "The original silver casts of Giambologna's Labours of Hercules," Studien zum europaischen Kunsthandwerk. Festchrift Yvonne Hackenbroch, Munich, 1983, pp. 141-5; C. Avery Giambologna, Oxford, 1987, pp. 141-2, 262; M. Leithe-Jasper and P. Wengraf, European Bronzes from the Quentin Collection, exh. cat. New York, 2004, pp. 166-75, no. 15; Giambologna: gli dei, gli eroi, exh. cat., Florence (Bargello), 2006, p. 175, cat. no. 14-15, pp. 184-186.