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Introduction the Original of This Statue Was Found in 1877 by a Team Of Introduction respectively). To protect the infant the supporting pier, perhaps Dionysos, Zeus entrusted him to suggesting a gymnasium setting. The The original of this statue was found Hermes, who together with a band of infant Dionysos sits confidently on in 1877 by a team of German nymphs, hid the child near Mt. Nysa the crook of Hermes' arm and archaeologists excavating in the in Anatolia (modern Turkey). As an reaches out toward his older sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia in adult, Dionysos returned to Greece, brother. Neither figure establishes the Peloponnese (not to be confused where he proclaim-ed his divinity and eye contact with the viewer: the with Mt. Olympus in northern offered the gifts of wine, revelry, and brothers exist entirely within their Greece). The nearly complete statue the experience of altered states. own space. The two heads, however, (lower legs and left foot restored) Those who accepted him were create a strong diagonal line echoed stood in the temple of Hera (Juno) at rewarded; those who refused were at the level of Hermes' shoulder, the site. Greek and Roman temples punished in various horrible ways. In hips, and knees. The combination of were often used as 'museums' for the Olympia statue, however, we see an adult plus child, relatively small displaying works of art. We see the a lighter moment: Hermes dangles heads, tousled hair, and soft sfumato adult god Hermes (Roman something, now lost, and baby ("smoky") carving are all traits of 4th Mercury) holding his baby brother, Dionysos reaches toward it. (Our c. sculpture. But the sandals of Dionysos (Bacchus). The statue cast restores a bunch of grapes along Hermes are of no earlier than the was long thought to be the actual with the baby's arm, on the evidence 2nd c. B.C. - one of the reasons our Greek master-piece by the sculptor of a Roman wall-painting from figure is unlikely to be a 4th c. original Praxiteles (4th c. B.C.) mentioned Pompeii). masterpiece. by the traveler Pausanias (ca. A.D. 160) as being in the temple (Guide to Iconography and Style Context and Interpretation Greece 5.17.7). Most scholars now, The group consists of the two gods, This group is important, because it however, consider it a late Hellenistic with a vertical support covered with seemed to be one of the few or Roman work of the 1st c. B.C. in the folds of a cloak. Hermes stands surviving masterpieces by a known Praxitilean style. Rasp and chisel with his weight resting on his right artist, as described by Pausanias. The marks reveal a partial reworking of leg, with the left trailing and bent at author lived, however, nearly 500 the back. Traces of red paint may the knee, causing a dramatic shift in years after the artist. Nevertheless, indicate that Hermes' hair, lips, and pose at hip level. (Note a second, scholars have used the statue to sandals were gilded originally. horizontal, strut here). The torso, define the style of Praxiteles (as Olympia Archaeological Museum however, curves in the opposite outlined above) and to attribute (Greece). Marble. H. 2.10 m. (7 ft. 1 direction as Hermes extends his right other works to his artistic output in.); 2.28 if the right arm is restored. arm up and out (the forearm and (oeuvre) - a dangerous kind of Mythological Background hand are missing). The body thus guesswork! If the statue is of 1st c. describes a reverse S-curve B.C. date, it means we have to According to myth, Hermes and considered typical of Praxitelean rethink what we really know for sure Dionysos were sons of Zeus, but by works (e.g., the Apollo Sauroktonos about Praxiteles. The history of this different mothers (the princess or Lizard-slayer). The left arm bends statue encourages students and Semele and the minor goddess Maia, acutely at the elbow and rests atop scholars alike to look at things through fresh eyes, and to question For more about Hermes and other the validity of standard assumptions - gods, take CLSX 148. whether in the museum, or in the classroom! Select Modern Bibliography WILCOX Ajootian, A. 1996. "Praxiteles," in O. Palagia and J. Pollitt (eds.), Personal Styles in Greek COLLECTION Sculpture, (Cambridge) 91-129, esp. 103- 10, figs. 55-57. of Adam, S. 1966. The Technique of Greek Classical Sculpture (London) 124-28. Bieber, M. 1961. The Sculpture of the Antiquities Hellenistic Age (New York). Hornblower, S., and Spawforth, A. (eds.) 1996. The Oxford Classical Dictionary Department of Classics (Oxford) 690-91. University of Kansas LIMC V.1.285-387 (Hermes). [LIMC = Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, a comprehensive myth and art encyclopedia (reference, Spencer Art & Architecture Library at KU] Lullies, R., and M. Hirmer. 1960. Greek Sculpture (New York) 72, pls. 220-222. Morrow, K.D. 1985. Greek Footwear and the Dating of Sculpture (Madison) 83-4, 113-4. Preisshofen, R. 2002. "Der Apollo The original statue in the Olympia Sauroktonos des Praxiteles," Antike Plastik Museum; note how the Wilcox cast 28: 41-115. restores Hermes's right arm. Study Pamphlet #3 Robertson, M. 1981. A Shorter History of Greek Art (Cambridge) 138-39, 139 fig. cast: 191. For more information about the Stewart, A. 1990. Greek Sculpture. An Wilcox Collection and Department Exploration (New Haven) 279. of Classics, please visit our websites: HERMES Treu, G. 1897. Olympische Forschungen: "BY PRAXITELES" Bildwerke von Olympia 7 (Berlin) 194-206, http://www.wilcox.ku.edu pls. 49-53. http://www.classics.ku.edu FROM OLYMPIA Wycherley, R. 1982. "Pausanias and Praxiteles," Hesperia Suppl. 20: 82-91. © Paul Rehak For more about Greek and Roman January 2004 sculpture, these courses are available: rev. 10.2016 CLSX/HA 526 or 537. .
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