Hermes of Praxiteles
A marble statue found at Olympia in 1877 depicting Hermes holding the infant Dionysus, attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles and dating to the fourth century BCE
The Meaning of Hermes of Praxiteles
The Hermes of Praxiteles was discovered in 1877 during German excavations at Olympia, found in the Temple of Hera exactly where the ancient traveller Pausanias had described seeing it in the second century CE. The statue depicts Hermes, the messenger god, leaning casually against a tree trunk draped with his cloak while holding the infant Dionysus on his left arm. His missing right hand probably held a bunch of grapes, which the baby reaches for — a charming interaction between the two gods. The figure exemplifies the fourth-century shift toward softer, more sensual forms: Hermes's body has a languid S-curve, his surface is polished to a luminous finish, and his dreamy expression epitomises the style associated with Praxiteles. Whether this is actually the original by Praxiteles or a later copy remains one of the most debated questions in classical archaeology. Those who support the original attribution point to the exceptional quality of the carving and the match with Pausanias's description. Sceptics note technical features more consistent with Hellenistic or Roman craftsmanship. The statue remains in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
This is one of the only major Greek sculptures that may be an original rather than a Roman copy, though scholars have debated this for over a century
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