Giovanni Battista Foggini (1658-1725) Italian, Florence, circa 1700 After a model by Giambologna (1529-1608)

With Daniel Katz, London, 1986, from whom acquired by the present owner

Overall the condition of the bronze is excellent. There is some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. The facture of the bronze shows in small areas of slight discoloration.
"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."

This impressive bronze group of Hercules and the Centaur after Giambologna's model is a highly important addition to the history of bronze sculpture in Florence in the age of the Late Baroque. Apart from its immediately perceptible visual and tactile qualities, this bronze group provides evidence for the theory that Giambologna's models were continued to be cast by the major Florentine sculptors of the late 17th and early 18th century. The principal sculptor was Giovanni Battista Foggini, who began to dominate the sculptural scene in Florence shortly after his return from Rome in 1676, where he had studied at the Florentine Acadamy. In 1686 Foggini became court sculptor of Grand Duke Cosimo III, and in 1694 he was nominated court architect as well. Unlike his contemporary Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, who specialised in bronze casting  alone, Foggini notably excelled in bronze casting but also worked in marble and wood. Amongst his major accomplishments in bronze is the Tomb of Saint Francis Xavier, which he created for the Jesuit Church of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, India (1691-97, in situ).

According to an unpublished document found by Dimitrios Zikos - whom we would like to thank for first suggesting and confirming upon inspection Foggini's authorship of the present bronze - the Florentine court sculptor owned nine (of the twelve) Labours of Hercules by Giambologna, including two examples of Hercules and the Centaur (nos. 2 and 10 in the inventory): "Dieci Gruppi che rappresentano le Forze d'Ercole alti due terzi [braccia] 1^o Ercole con il Cing[hi]ale 2^o Ercole che ammazza il Centauro 3^o Ercole che scaglia Lica 4. Ercole che sbrana il Leone 5 Ercole che ammazza l'Jdra 6. Ercole che ferma il Ceruo 7^o Ercole che scoppia Anteo 8. Ercole cin il Mondo 9^o Altro Ercole con il Centauro 10 Ercole con il Cerbero." The addition of a rocky, striated terrain base (which is typical for Florentine bronzes of the late Baroque), and the transposition of Giambologna's stylised drapery into Foggini's soft and naturalistic style, which is perhaps even more evident in the drapery on the ground together with a quiver, fully validate his authorship. These details are closely comparable, for instance, to Foggini's group of David and Goliath, which was sold at the Hotel Drouot on 29 November 2004 for 1,105,000 Euros (hammer price).

Foggini's interpretive cast of Giambologna's Hercules and the Centaur unites in one work the creative accomplishments of two protagonists of the glorious tradition of Florentine bronze sculpture: its original founder and the spiritus rector of its last flowering.

RELATED LITERATURE
D. Zikos, 'Ercole e le dodici fatiche,' Giambologna: gli dei, gli eroi, exh. cat. Florence (Bargello), 2006, p. 175; T. Mozzati, ibidem, cat. no. 11, p. 179.