Hermes carrying Dionysos child
Hermes carrying Dionysos child , also known under the name of Hermes d' Olympie is an ancient Greek statue discovered in 1877 in the ruins of the temple of Héra to Olympie. It is exposed to the archaeological Musée of Olympie.
The group is traditionally attached to Praxitèle (fourth century BC) on the faith of a remark of the Greek traveller Pausanias () and largely contributed to the definition of the style praxitélien. Its attribution is however the controversy object sharp among the historians of Article.
Discovered
In 1874, the Greek State sign with the Germany an agreement on the archaeological exploration of the site of Olympie, excavated for the first time by the Forwarding of Morée of 1829. The German excavations begin in 1875. May 8th 1877, one puts at the day in the temple of Héra the body (head, chest, thighs and left arm) of a statue representing an young man pressed on a tree trunk covered with a coat. Protected by a thick argillaceous layer, the unit is in an exceptional state of conservation.
One needs six more others distinct discoveries to arrive at the sculptor group such as it is exposed today. It misses with Hermes the right front armlever, two fingers of the left hand, the two legs starting from the knee, the left foot and the sex; miss with the child the arms (except the right hand posed on the shoulder of Hermes) and the end of the right foot. Lastly, a good part of the tree trunk and plinth are lost. On the other hand, one has an ancient base, made up of a block of gray limestone taken between two blocks of marble.
Technical considerations
The group is cut in a block of λυχνίτης / lukhnítês , the best quality of Marble of Paros. Hermes measures between 2,10 and 2,12 meters, the whole of work measuring nearly 3,70 meters with the base. The right foot of Hermes is interdependent with a piece of plinth; this one carries mortises to staples which are not encased in the crowning of the base, thus testifying to rehandlings brought to the soclage of the statue. Other parts of the group are also reported. On the other hand, the tree trunk is attached to the hip of Hermes by a stay.
The face and the chest of Hermes strike by their very polished aspect, almost shining, “to which contributed”, joke John Boardman, “of the generations of cleaning ladies of the temple”. On the other hand, the back carries marks of blows of Râpe and of Gouge and the remainder of the statue is only partially polished.
The hair comprised at the time of its discovery of weak traces of Cinabre, a compound of Sulfate of red mercury of color, which is probably not a true color, but a preparation for gilding. The color is found on the belts of the sandal of the preserved foot, which also presents traces of gilding; in the same way, the sandal comprises a reason in node of Héraclès which was probably prolonged by painting, since no carved reason connects the belts to the sole between the toes. The eyes and the lips were probably coloured of red.
Identification
Attribution
As soon as discovered, work is brought closer to the Hermes carrying Dionysos child evoked by Pausanias at 2nd century a. J. - C.: “Some time afterwards, one made other dedications to Héraion, a bearing marble Hermes Dionysos child, work of Praxitèle ( τέχνη δέ ἐστι Πραξιτέλους ). ” Georg Treu, one of the discoverers, written with enthusiasm: “I do not know anything among the works of art which are known for me which is not let there compare. No doubt that with it we are in the presence of an original of Praxitèle. ” Gustav Hirschfeld, director of the excavations, show themselves nevertheless more circumspect.
On the stylistic level, the group does not appear foreign with the manner of Praxitèle, on the contrary: the flexible attitude, the youthful air of the god and the treatment of the muscles approach incontestably the Apollon sauroctone . The Satyr at rest , him also accoudé, also offers an air of relationship. However, none of these works being allotted to Praxitèle in an unquestionable way, the reasoning are often circular. In favor of the thesis praxitélienne - or at least of a Greek original of the second classicism -, one also proposed material: whereas all the known copies originating in Olympie are out of marble of the Pentélique, the Hermes is out of marble of Paros. Then, one brought the head closer to small Dionysos of statues of Dionysos child found with Brauron and dated from the end from: the Hermes would be thus well an original of the 4th century.
Work offers many subjects of perplexity. Initially, it is the only known authority of this sculptor type, whereas one knows abundance of copies of the Satyre at rest or of the Aphrodite de Cnide . Pline does not mention it.
Then, certain characteristics stylistics appear incompatible with a dating at fourth century BC Ainsi, contrary to the practices of the time, the hair was mainly released with the drill running, the chisel being used only for certain wicks. It can however be a question of an innovation of Praxitèle. In the same way, the completion of the tree trunk to the gouge and not to the gradine is rather unusual at the 4th century. The drawing of the sandals is more usual hellenistic time than of the traditional time. Current work could also be a copy of a work of Praxitèle: not-realistic proportions of the Dionysos child, execution considered to be weak. The left hand probably held another attribute: undoubtedly a Caduceus. In a more general way, the raised right-hand man of Hermes is interpreted various ways. It appears probable that the group represents the mythological episode where Hermes carries to the nymphs of the mount Nysa the Dionysos newborn, so that those raise it in hiding-place of Héra. In way, Hermes rests and the young child by agitating his right hand an object benefits from it to distract that Dionysos endeavors to catch. It was thus supposed that the stone Hermes held in the right hand an musical instrument, like crotales - or a Thyrse, or a goblet with drinking. However, a Fresque of Casa del Naviglio with Pompei pushes to prefer the assumption of a bunch of grapes.
The testimony of Pausanias ensures us that the statue was in the temple of Héra when it passed there, i.e. at 2nd century a. J. - C. It quotes it among other major works of the traditional time, but Héraion also sheltered Roman statues. However, it is not certain that it was there as of fourth century BC Hermes being particularly honoured in Arcadie, its birthplace, and Dionysos being the object of an important worship in Élide, one suggested that the group symbolized a bringing together between Éléens and Arcadiens, with a title various: peace concluded in 363 av. J. - C. or victorious alliance of the aristocrats éléens and Arcadiens against the democrats éléens, in 343 av. J. - C. These conjectures is however corroborated by no piece of evidence.