Summary

Giambologna: Hercules and the Dragon Ladon   (  )
Artist	Giambologna  (1529–1608)     Alternative names Birth name: Jean Boulogne Description Flemish sculptor and architect Date of birth/death 1529  14 August 1608 Location of birth/death Douai, Flanders Florence Authority file : Q220136 VIAF: 34725916 ISNI: 0000000121276442 ULAN: 500016387 LCCN: n85252671 NLA: 35969335 WorldCat artist QS:P170,Q220136
Title	Hercules and the Dragon Ladon
Description	English: The mythical Greek hero Heracles, known to the Romans as Hercules, was renowned for his great strength and the heroic deeds he performed, which were favorite subjects for painters and sculptors alike. Around 1580, Jean Boulogne (Flemish, 1529-1608), know as Giambologna, produced for Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici (1541-87) of Tuscany a set of bronze statuettes of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, deeds which King Eurystheus ordered him to carry out, assuming them to be impossible. These groups are characterized by highly dramatic poses, with the limbs of the figures spiraling outwards from center. The smooth surface of the bronze enhances the muscles of Hercules's imposing physique. These figures were extremely popular all over Europe and were replicated in great numbers, beginning in the artist's lifetime and continuing for decades. Individual casts are difficult to date, but the bronzes exhibited here were surely made after the master's death. However, they preserve the character of Giambologna's originals and illustrate the refined taste of the Medici court towards the end of the 16th century. The subject of this unusual and rare statuette is the killing of the dragon Ladon, which guarded the garden of the Hesperides, the nymphs who grew golden apples. Since stealing apples from a tree (the 11th Labor of Hercules) is not as dramatic as a fight with a dragon, this other part of the story was chosen by the artist.
Date	Cast: 17th century
Medium	bronze medium QS:P186,Q34095
Dimensions	height: 41.8 cm (16.4 in); width: 28.8 cm (11.3 in) dimensions QS:P2048,41.8U174728 dimensions QS:P2049,28.8U174728
Collection	Walters Art Museum    Native name Walters Art Museum Location Baltimore, United States of America Coordinates 39° 17′ 48″ N, 76° 36′ 58″ W   Established 1934  Website thewalters.org Authority file : Q210081 VIAF: 128918374 ISNI: 000000040373611X ULAN: 500279110 LCCN: no00096900 GND: 16029354-6 WorldCat institution QS:P195,Q210081
Accession number	54.695
Place of creation	Florence, Italy
Object history	J. + S. Goldschmidt, Frankfurt [together with Walters 54.694, part of a set of six, the other four in Salomon Collection until 1923, then dispersed] Henry Walters, Baltimore, February 1926 [mode of acquisition unknown] 1931: bequeathed to Walters Art Museum by Henry Walters
Exhibition history	Giambologna, 1529-1608: Sculptor to the Medici. Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Edinburgh; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. 1978-1979. Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1998-2001.
Credit line	Acquired by Henry Walters, 1926
Source	Walters Art Museum: Home page  Info about artwork
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