Hermes at Warandepark in Brussels, Belgium

myminifactory

Hermes is an Olympian god in Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. He is second youngest of the Olympian gods, known for transitions and boundaries. He moves freely between mortal and divine worlds, as a messenger and emissary of the gods. He serves as an intercessor between mortals and the divine, guiding souls into the afterlife. The Hellenistic period saw numerous depictions of Hermes, often through famous individuals of the time. By the 17th century, Hermes became a popular ornament or statue in gardens. Laurent Delvaux was a French sculptor born in Ghent in 1696 and died on February 24, 1778. He studied under Pierre-Denis Plumier in Antwerp. In 1719, Delvaux moved to London with Plumier, where he worked with Pieter Scheemakers in their studio. Their first project was a commissioned sculpture for John Sheffield, the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, in Westminster Abbey (1721/22). They collaborated from 1723 to 1728 on tombs at Westminster Abbey, monuments, and garden ornaments. In 1730, Scheemakers returned to England, but Delvaux remained until 1732. He then returned to Nivelles after being supported by Charles of Lorraine, an art lover who sponsored several young artists at the time. Laurent Delvaux created numerous commissioned works for abbeys and European royal courts. Many of his pieces have been preserved and can still be seen in monasteries and museums in Belgium. Gilles-Lambert Godecharle was a pupil of Delvaux. The Parc de Bruxelles, also known as Brussels Park or Warandepark, is a city park in the center of Brussels, covering approximately 13 hectares. It is located between the rue Royale, rue de la Loi, Ducale, and the Place des Palais. The park features a large fountain, various busts, statues, neoclassical entrance gates, and a bandstand. There are about sixty images in the Royal Park, most of which depict subjects from ancient mythology. Many of these images were moved to the park from elsewhere, especially the old ducal Royal Park, the castle of Tervuren, after Charles Alexander of Lorraine's death. The images have been affected by war, vandalism, and pollution over time. Most of them have been replaced with copies. The most valuable original pieces are housed in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, while damaged works and lesser-quality items can be found in the Maison du Roi Museum.