Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Late Classical
Hermes and the Infant Dionysus
- By Praxiteles
- Discovered in 1877 in ruins of the Temple of Hera, Olympia
- Parian marble
- c. 340BC (late classical)
- Pausanias recorded it in the 2nd Century AD
- 2.12m
- Used the method of “in the round”
- Was it original or copy?
• Back hasn’t been finished off as it has work markings- original would have definitely
been finished off
- Preserved remarkably well
- Protected by a thick layer of clay
- Right forearm, two fingers on left hand and penis are missing
- Dionysus is missing its arms except the right hand that is on Hermes’ shoulder and
end of right foot
- Pose:
• Hermes is holding something out to tease Dionysus, which Dionysus is reaching for
• Thought to be grapes
• Hermes is leaning against a tree trunk, over which a cloak is draped
• Hermes weight is on his right foot, but the left foot still slightly touches the floor
• This off-balance pose is known as the Praxitelean Curve and shows an emphatic S-
shaped curved
• This is an impressive use of contrapposto
• Right thigh curves outwards, right hip drawn well in and upper body tilted to the left
- Presentation:
• Hermes’ musculature is soft but defined, mainly created by shadows
1
Late Classical
Hermes and the Infant Dionysus
- By Praxiteles
- Discovered in 1877 in ruins of the Temple of Hera, Olympia
- Parian marble
- c. 340BC (late classical)
- Pausanias recorded it in the 2nd Century AD
- 2.12m
- Used the method of “in the round”
- Was it original or copy?
• Back hasn’t been finished off as it has work markings- original would have definitely
been finished off
- Preserved remarkably well
- Protected by a thick layer of clay
- Right forearm, two fingers on left hand and penis are missing
- Dionysus is missing its arms except the right hand that is on Hermes’ shoulder and
end of right foot
- Pose:
• Hermes is holding something out to tease Dionysus, which Dionysus is reaching for
• Thought to be grapes
• Hermes is leaning against a tree trunk, over which a cloak is draped
• Hermes weight is on his right foot, but the left foot still slightly touches the floor
• This off-balance pose is known as the Praxitelean Curve and shows an emphatic S-
shaped curved
• This is an impressive use of contrapposto
• Right thigh curves outwards, right hip drawn well in and upper body tilted to the left
- Presentation:
• Hermes’ musculature is soft but defined, mainly created by shadows
1
