Hercules slaying a Centaur

On acquisition, this piece was thought to represent Hercules and Nessus, a reduced copy of the marble group by Giambologna (Jean of Boulogne, 1529-1608), a Franco-Flemish sculptor active in Florence, Italy. Its reattribution to H. J. Hatfield was made at some date after 1974; a further bronze group, Hercules and Antaeus, was also reattributed following the discovery of the Hatfield foundry stamp concealed beneath the foot of the Hercules figure.

H. J. Hatfield was almost certainly a member of the Hatfield firm of bronze workers active from the 1840s. He is recorded as having produced a number of bronzes for the Art Union.