Alabaster sculpture - Hercules and the Cretan Bull. Rome, 17th century. 20 x 12 x h 34 cm. Made entirely of sculpted alabaster. Separate alabaster base, minor missing parts and signs of aging. To redeem himself for killing his family in a moment of madness induced by the goddess Hera, Hercules entered the service of King Eurystheus, who imposed twelve impossible tasks on him. His seventh labor was to capture the Cretan Bull, the animal was a magnificent white specimen, donated by the god Poseidon to Minos, the king of Crete. Minos, however, refused to sacrifice it to the god, who as punishment drove the bull mad, making it wild and destructive. Arriving on the island, Hercules found the animal and, after an exhausting struggle, managed to tame it and ride it to Greece. Once the bull was shown to Eurystheus, the king, frightened and not knowing what to do with it, set it free. The animal roamed around Greece until it was killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. - All shipments within the EU are free and professionally packaged. - Each item is sold with a certificate of authenticity with legal validity. - Further information on the condition report is available upon request. - Viezzi Arte guarantees quality and professionalism at competitive prices, contact us at info@viezziarte.it or via WhatsApp at +39 3402841279. *Message for non-Italian buyers: Please note that this work has not yet obtained the free export certificate from Italy at the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage. This document certifies that the work is not part of Italian cultural heritage. Normally the release times for the certificates are 40 days from the date of the appointment: The new legislation in force since 2021 provides, for amounts declared less than €13,500, shorter times at the discretion of the commission of experts. All costs of this operation are included.