Skip to main content

Allegory of Politics, Myth of Hercules and Cacus. Late 16th Century

Allegory of Politics, Myth of Hercules and Cacus. Late 16th Century

View Similar Items

Andrea Del Sarto - The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist

The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist

Unknown - Perin del Vaga workshop (Florence) - 16th century figure painting - Flagellation

Perin del Vaga workshop (Florence) - 16th century figure painting - Flagellation

Unknown - Large Oil Painting Classical Renaissance Ladies in Fantasy Landscape

Large Oil Painting Classical Renaissance Ladies in Fantasy Landscape

Johannes Jakob Hartmann - Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann

Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann

Yves Gianni - View in Summer of Napoli, Italy

View in Summer of Napoli, Italy

Unknown - 18th Century Antique Oil Painting Coastal Harbor Scene with Towers Old Master

18th Century Antique Oil Painting Coastal Harbor Scene with Towers Old Master

Gino Guida - The Baboon (The Rock of Capo d'Orlando) - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

The Baboon (The Rock of Capo d'Orlando) - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Gino Guida - The Yellow Tree - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

The Yellow Tree - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Gino Guida - Rocks (The White Rock in Ponza) - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Rocks (The White Rock in Ponza) - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Gino Guida - The Islands - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

The Islands - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Gustave Madelain - Impressionist Cityscape Paris, works by the River Seine light flooded painting

Impressionist Cityscape Paris, works by the River Seine light flooded painting

Gino Guida - Trunk in the Meadow - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Trunk in the Meadow - Paint by Gino Guida - 1980s

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 20

Unknown
Allegory of Politics, Myth of Hercules and Cacus. Late 16th Century

$3,200List Price

About the Item

Allegory of Politics, Myth of Hercules and Cacus. Period: Late 16th Century Technique: Oil on Wooden Panel : This painting depicts the legendary scene in which Hercules defeats Cacus. According to the legend, Cacus was a monstrous giant who breathed fire. The son of Vulcan, Cacus lived in a cave on the Aventine Hill in Rome and terrorized the local population by stealing cattle and hiding his tracks with fire and smoke. Hercules ultimately killed him as part of his Twelve Labors, discovering him while he was stealing the cattle of Geryon. It is remarkable how this subject was popular in the 16th century and used for political purposes. In Florence, the Labors of Hercules were often depicted to draw comparisons between the hero and Cosimo I de' Medici. Similarly, in Spain, during the same period, tapestries depicting the Labors of Hercules appeared, alluding to the Habsburgs. The depiction serves as an allegory of politics, with Hercules symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The background landscape is particularly notable: a city located on the bank of a river, with a fortress perched atop a rock. To the left, a cave can be seen, with cows and Cacus. The painting shows traces of an Italian red wax seal on the back, which features an inscription dating from before the unification of Italy, thus before the mid-19th century. The most likely iconographic source for this painting might be a tapestry, a drawing, or a print derived from it. The figures are dressed in ancient Roman attire, are very muscular, and the landscape is rendered in great detail. The Roman sandals are described with meticulous care. The painting is well-preserved, with only a few scratches that do not affect the overall condition of the piece. Instead of a frame, there is an ancient support structure with two crossed wrought iron rods for hanging the painting. This artwork is an example of historical art, rich in symbolism and detail, capturing the essence of the legend of Hercules and Cacus and the political context of the time. The myth of Hercules was used to legitimize and glorify political power, highlighting virtues such as strength, courage, and endurance, which were particularly relevant for rulers who sought to be seen as classical heroes. The Labors of Hercules were a highly popular theme during the Renaissance, and paintings depicting them could have been commissioned or used to showcase the strength and legitimacy of the patron's power.

Dimensions:
Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 0.79 in (2 cm)
Medium:
Wood,Oil
Movement & Style:
Renaissance
Period:
16th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Firenze, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2464214736992

More From This Seller

Architectural whimsy with Roman ruins, column and ancient arches.

Located in Firenze, IT

Architectural whimsy with Roman ruins, column and ancient arches. Year 1718. Oil on Canvas. Original canvas. Roman school of the early 18th century. The painting is part of the seri...

Category

Early 18th Century Italian School Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Architectural whimsy with Roman ruins, column and ancient arches.

Architectural whimsy with Roman ruins, column and ancient arches.

$1,076 Sale Price

40% Off

Free Shipping

Small Neapolitan fishermen. XIX century. With Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius

Located in Firenze, IT

Small Neapolitan fishermen with girl. XIX century. Foreign artist active in Italy. Painting representing two children against the background of the Gulf of Naples with the volcano...

Category

19th Century Romantic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Small Neapolitan fishermen. XIX century. With Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius

Small Neapolitan fishermen. XIX century. With Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius

$956 Sale Price

38% Off

Free Shipping

Mediterranean Landscape With Medieval Church, Towers, And Agave, Ca. 1930

Located in Firenze, IT

Southern Landscape with Medieval Church, Towers, and Agave, Oil on Canvas, Ca. 1920-1930 Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 61 cm x 74 cm Condition: Good This Southern Mediterran...

Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mediterranean Landscape With Medieval Church, Towers, And Agave, Ca. 1930

Mediterranean Landscape With Medieval Church, Towers, And Agave, Ca. 1930

$777

Greece. Venetian Fortress On The Greek Island Of Corfu. Signed Tin Florias

Located in Firenze, IT

Venetian fortress on the Greek island of Corfu. Signed Tin Florias (1897-1969, Greek) The creation of this fortress was started under Byzantine domination...

Category

20th Century Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Greece. Venetian Fortress On The Greek Island Of Corfu. Signed Tin Florias

Constantin (Tin) Florias
Greece. Venetian Fortress On The Greek Island Of Corfu. Signed Tin Florias

$526 Sale Price

44% Off

Tree of Dreamy Constellations. Ferdinand De Filippi (19

By Fernando De Filippi

Located in Firenze, IT

Tree of Dreamy Constellations. Signed in reverse: Ferdinando De Filippi (born 1940, Lecce, Italy) Tree of Dreamy Constellations is a fascinating painting created in a calligraphic m...

Category

1990s Contemporary Landscape Paintings

Materials

Ink, Paper, Wood, Canvas

Tree of Dreamy Constellations. Ferdinand De Filippi (19

Fernando De Filippi
Tree of Dreamy Constellations. Ferdinand De Filippi (19

$596 Sale Price

43% Off

Early 16th century. The Agony in the Garden. Southern German school.

Located in Firenze, IT

The Agony in the Garden. (Christ on the Mount of Olives). Technique: Oil on Panel, 4 wooden boards, not parqueted. Dim. with frame: 78cm x 67cm Dim. without frame: 52 x 62 cm Germa...

Category

18th Century and Earlier Northern Renaissance Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood, Board

Early 16th century. The Agony in the Garden. Southern German school.

Early 16th century. The Agony in the Garden. Southern German school.

$9,447 Sale Price

34% Off

You May Also Like

The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist

By Andrea Del Sarto

Located in Maidenhead, GB

Florentine, mid-16th century Circle of Tomaso D’Antonio Manzuoli, known as Maso da San Friano (1536-1571) The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist After Andrea del Sarto (1486-1...

Category

15th Century and Earlier Renaissance Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist

The Virgin and Child with the Infant Baptist, Mid-16th century

$20,000

Perin del Vaga workshop (Florence) - 16th century figure painting - Flagellation

Located in Varmo, IT

Piero di Giovanni Bonaccorsi, known as Perin del Vaga (Florence 1501 - Rome 1547), workshop of - Flagellation of Christ. 71.5 x 59.5 cm unframed, 89 x 76 cm with frame. Oil on pane...

Category

16th Century Renaissance Figurative Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

Perin del Vaga workshop (Florence) - 16th century figure painting - Flagellation

Perin del Vaga workshop (Florence) - 16th century figure painting - Flagellation, c.1580

$5,979 Sale Price

37% Off

Large Oil Painting Classical Renaissance Ladies in Fantasy Landscape

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist/ School: French School, 20th century Title: Classical Ladies in Landscape Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed and inscribed verso. canvas: 19.75 x 28.75 inches Prove...

Category

20th Century Renaissance Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Oil Painting Classical Renaissance Ladies in Fantasy Landscape

Large Oil Painting Classical Renaissance Ladies in Fantasy Landscape

$2,124 Sale Price

30% Off

Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann

Located in London, GB

Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann (Bohemian, 1680-1730) Bohemia, early 18th Century Panel: Height 73c...

Category

Early 18th Century Northern Renaissance Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann

Johannes Jakob Hartmann
Two oil on panel Old Master landscape paintings by Johannes Jakob Hartmann, Early 18th Century

$132,417 Sale Price

20% Off

View in Summer of Napoli, Italy

Located in Soquel, CA

View in Summer of Napoli, Italy Well executed pleinair painting of a hill over looking the Bay of Napoli, Italy. done at the turn of the century in ...

Category

1910s Northern Renaissance Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Laid Paper

View in Summer of Napoli, Italy

Yves Gianni
View in Summer of Napoli, Italy, 1915

$1,080 Sale Price

20% Off

18th Century Antique Oil Painting Coastal Harbor Scene with Towers Old Master

Located in Stockholm, SE

This captivating seascape presents a masterful coastal harbor scene from the 18th century, attributed to an unknown master of marine art. The composition is built around 2 watchtower...

Category

Late 18th Century Realist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Walnut, Oil

18th Century Antique Oil Painting Coastal Harbor Scene with Towers Old Master

18th Century Antique Oil Painting Coastal Harbor Scene with Towers Old Master, e.g. 1770-1790

$1,890

Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

Antique Rulers Wood

Antique Wooden Ruler

16th Century Painted Panels

Fortuny Paintings

Michael Lawrence

Vintage Little Girl Painting

French Masonite Paintings

Horse Painting Pink

Jordanian Oil Painting

Paintings Of Sardinia

Flamenco Dancer

Rajasthan Painting

African Colonial Art

Picasso Bull Sculptures

Robert Scott Painting

View All Popular Landscape Paintings Searches