Hercules and the Nemean Lion

Cleveland Museum of Art

A bronze sculpture depicting Hercules and the Nemean Lion. The sculpture shows a muscular, nude male figure wrestling a lion. The male has short, curly hair and his body faces right. He has his right arm around the lion's neck. The lion's body faces left; its head is bent back. The lion's mouth is open, and its front legs hang limp. The bronze has a dark patina with brown undertones. The background fades from dark at the top to light gray at the bottom. The sculpture stands on a plain, light-colored surface. The image shows the sculpture by French artist François Girardon.