Hercules and Cacus
19th century?
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 19 1/4 × 8 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (48.9 × 21.6 × 16.5 cm).
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
possibly Northern European
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Accession Number
32.100.185
Tags
Art Historical Context
This bronze sculpture, titled *Hercules and Cacus*, captures the dramatic moment from classical mythology in which the Hercules defeats the fire-breathing giant Cacus, who had stolen cattle from the hero’s herd. Standing just over 19 inches tall, the compact yet powerfully modeled figure emphasizes the tension of the struggle through exaggerated musculature and dynamic pose, inviting viewers to appreciate the physical and moral triumph of order over chaos. Although traditionally associated with Michelangelo Buonarroti, the work’s 19th-century date and possible Northern European origin indicat...
About the Artist
Michelangelo Buonarroti · 1475–1564
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564) stands as the quintessential figure of the Italian High Renaissance, a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet whose mastery across disciplines embodied the era's humanist ideals. Born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese within the Republic of Florence to a modest family—his father, Lodovico di Buonarroti Simoni, served as a minor magistrate—Michelang...