Hermes Ludovisi

myminifactory

The statue depicts a god with his head shrouded by a winged hat and a messenger's staff in his left hand, extending his right arm forward, now missing. The model for this sculpture is attributed to a Greek master active around 450 BCE, likely from the Attic region. Flavian period (50s-100 AD) The Hermes Ludovisi was once known as Mercurio Oratore, a Hellenistic sculpture of Hermes in his form as Psychopompus. The statue is carved from Italian marble and features subtle details typical of 1st-century Roman art inspired by an earlier bronze original. This original is believed to have been created around 440 BCE by the young Phidias or alternatively attributed to "Myronic". Its model shows one of the earliest depictions of Hermes as beardless and youthful. A smaller version, discovered in Anzio, can be found at the Museo Nazionale Romano. This variant features variations in the petasos and kerykeion, reflecting the creative liberties taken by Roman artists during this period.