Hercules and the Erymanthian Boar

The ancient hero Hercules strides forward, carrying the still-struggling Erymanthean boar over his shoulder. Hercules's powerful musculature and the naturalistic rendering of the beast create a vivid image, animated further by the drapery that billows out behind. The exceptionally fine cast and surface finish, as well as the accomplished distribution of weight through Hercules's open stance, suggest that the sculpture was made by Ferdinando Tacca. Tacca's workshop continued the tradition of virtuoso bronze casting in Florence in the decades after Giambologna's death.