Hercules and Diomedes

Vintage item from the 1960s This gorgeous singed statue is created by reconstituting real Carrara marble (approximately 70% marble and 30% resin). Natural off-white finish. Hercules & Diomedes by Vincenzo de' Rossi. Hercules is the Roman name for the mythical Greek demigod Heracles, son of Jupiter (the Roman equivalent of Zeus), and the mortal Alcmena. This statue is a sculpture from the Santini Studios in Italy. Hard to find in the US due to the fact that it is no longer being imported, the Santini studios closed after more than 100 years in business. This is part of the Classic Figure collection, comes on a marble base. Total height with base is 19.5", width and depth are 6, it weighs 13lbs." This statue—located next to the Genius of Victory by Michelangelo and Florence triumphant over Pisa by Giambologna—belongs to a series of statues representing The Labors of Hercules. Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned twelve statues to sculptor Vincenzo de’ Rossi in 1560, but he managed to complete only seven of them. In the original project, this series of sculptures was supposed to decorate a fountain in the Boboli Gardens. Since 1592, these statues have been located in the Salone dei Cinquecento, with the exception of a brief period when Florence was capital, when they were moved to the Bargello Palace. This item is vintage. Overall it is in excellent condition with no chips or scratches.

Condition

Used (normal wear)