The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 1, 2023

Hercules and the Nemean Lion

1500s or later

Italy or France, 16th century or later

Bronze

Overall: 10.2 x 6 x 4 cm (4 x 2 3/8 x 1 9/16 in.)

Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee in memory of Paul Mallon 1975.111

Location

not on view

Description

The original owner of this work would have understood that this scene referred to the entire story of Hercules, the demi-god who had to accomplish twelve labors. The lion is named after the city of Nemea, near Corinth, a monstrous beast sent by the goddess Hera to wreak havoc on the area. After killing the lion, Hercules wore his pelt, commonly seen in other representations of the hero.

Provenance
Ernest Joresco (Chicago, Illinois), 1971, sold to Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee.
Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee, by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1975.
Citations
Wixom, William D. Renaissance Bronzes from Ohio Collections. 1975. cat. no. 110, repr.
Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1975." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 63, no. 2 (1976): 31-71. p. 65, no. 13 www.jstor.org
Keith, D. Graeme, and Charles Avery. The Triumph of Humanism: A Visual Survey of the Decorative Arts of the Renaissance. [San Francisco]: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1977. cat. #5, repr. p. 26.
Exhibition history

The Triumph of Humanism. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Legion of Honor, 1977-1978.

Renaissance Bronzes from Ohio Collections. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).

Year in Review: 1975. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (February 3-March 7, 1976).

The Triumph of Humanism. Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA (organizer) (October 22, 1977-January 9, 1978).

The Persistence of Classicism in Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 16, 1988-January 15, 1989).

Gallery One 2012. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 12, 2012-March 5, 2017).

Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1975.111