'Seated Hermes', a 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze

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An extraordinary and wonderfully rendered 19th century Italian cast bronze depicting a seated Hermes, the Greek god of messengers, travelers, … Read more An extraordinary and wonderfully rendered 19th century Italian cast bronze depicting a seated Hermes, the Greek god of messengers, travelers, and merchants, modeled after an original Roman copy discovered at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum in 1758. The statue was the most celebrated work of art found at Herculaneum and Pompeii in the eighteenth century, and is now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

Our version, although a copy, was created in the 19th century for aristocratic Europeans traveling along the Grand Tour. Beginning in the 18th century, the Grand Tour became a rite of passage for aristocratic young men, typically involving three or four years of travel around Europe with the ultimate destination being Italy as Rome was considered the epicenter of art and culture at that time. Mementos, like this bronze, were brought home by the men to show their families that they had become educated in the arts, architecture, and culture. See less