Hermes

Hermes Fastening his Sandal     MR 238 Sully room 17 A Greek god, identified as Mercury
by the Romans, Hermes was considered
the messenger of the gods.
In Classical art, he is represented as a young and beardless athletic man. One of his most famous offspring is Pan. This copy in the Louvre has undergone considerable restoration. The head is old but it is uncertain whether or not it belongs to the original statue. Completed from the 16th Century, the figure has been identified as a famous Roman who received the news in his field of his appointment to the Consulate. Allusion to this episode explains the addition of a ploughshare.

 Hermes is quoted in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

 “And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.” Acts 14:12  (NASB)
In the first century CE, the inhabitants of Lystra believed that Paul and Barnabas were gods. This conclusion is in keeping with the idea they had of Hermes as an eloquent harbinger. An inscription confirms that its inhabitants worshipped him.  AR24

Mercury Attaching his Wings

RF 3023 Jean-Baptiste Pigalle Richelieu Puget Court

Pigalle was received into the Academy in 1741 with a sculpture of Mercury, executed for his admission. The lead statue which dates from 1753 is a reminder of the monumental work that is today housed in the Berlin Museum. It came from Crécy and then Anet castles. www.louvre.fr