Attributed to Hermes Flavius de Bonis, called Lysippus (Padua ca. 1450/55–after 1526 Gazzuolo, Italy)
Cast early 1490s
9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm)
In the university town of Padua, the noble courts of Mantua and Rome, and Medici Florence, erudite collectors prized bronze statuettes for their evocation of the vanished grandeur of antiquity.
Attributed to the scholar and portrait-medalist Hermes Flavius de Bonis, Hercules Resting is a recreation of a lost, monumental bronze statue by Lysippus that was known from classical copies. By assuming the nickname “Lysippus,” the medalist compared his artistry to that of Alexander the Great’s personal sculptor.