Hercules and Omphale ca. 1749-50 Vincennes Manufactory French This figure group depicting two figures from Greek and Roman mythology, Hercules and Omphale,1 is one of the earliest sculptural models produced by the Vincennes factory. While the model first appears in the factory inventory of 1752, it seems almost certain that it was in production by the middle of 1749. On July 12, 1749, the account book of the famous Parisian marchand mercier Lazare Duvaux (French, 1703-1758) records the sale of “a large round gilt-bronze base for a Hercules made of Vincennes porcelain” to a Monsieur de Villaumont.2 As the Vincennes factory had only recently attempted the production of sculptural figures and groups, it is unlikely that there was another model of Hercules to which this notation in Duvaux’s account book could refer. Due to its size and the complexity of its composition, Hercules and Omphale is a surprisingly ambitious work for a factory that was founded in 1740 yet began production in