Hercules and the Bull

This small sculpture of Hercules' seventh Labour, the capturing of the Cretan Bull, was made by an unknown English silversmith in the early 19th century for Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843). The only further known cast of this model is in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace. Originally the silver sculpture would have served as an ornament for the dining table - a particularly appropriate subject whenever beef was served.