Bronze statue of Hermes with petasus on the head.
Hellenistic period, 150 BC.
H 49 cm; W 20 cm; D 15 cm
The petasos (wide-brimmed traveler’s hat) identifies this male nude as Hermes, messenger of the gods.
Found at Saponara in Italy, the figure presents a fusion of styles. The well-defined, muscular torso and relaxed stance derive from Classical bodies fashioned by the fifth-century B.C.
sculptor Polykleitos. Yet the elongated proportions—with long slender legs and a small head—are associated with Lysippos.
Image The Trustees of the British Museum
