The Hermes Ludovisi, [1] also formerly known as Mercurio Oratore ("Mercury the Orator"), [2] is a Hellenistic sculpture of the god Hermes possibly in his form of Hermes Psychopompus.
Its model is among the earliest sculptural representations of Hermes as beardless and youthful. [3]
It is made of Italic marble and is a somewhat slick [4] 1st-century AD Roman copy after an inferred bronze original of the 5th century BC which is traditionally attributed to the young Phidias, ca 440 BC, [5] or alternatively by Myron. [6] The statue was restored by Alessandro Algardi, who was active in Rome from 1625 onwards. Possibly Algardi’s controversial restoration of the right forearm was likely based not on a Classical sculpture but on a Renaissance bronze by Antico, which was in Mantua and would have been familiar to Algardi. The tip of the nose, right arm, feet, and base are all restorations, with traces of red paint visible on the cloak, and the object that was once held in the left hand—around which the fingers curl—is now missing. [7]
The correct position for this arm is still debated because its position determines whether the original belongs to the Hermes Psychopompus type or Hermes Logios type. [7]
It was acquired by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi for the Ludovisi collection and is now on show at the Palazzo Altemps (National Museum in Rome).
Greek original was quite popular, according to the number of copies. Although the Ludovisi statue has lent its name to this type, it is not an exact reproduction of the significant bronze work. Reconstruction of the original statue, derived from a comparison of all existing copies, reveals that it differs from the Ludovisi statue in at least three key aspects: hair style, right hand and the position and form ofthe petasos. [7]
A variant on a somewhat reduced scale, found in Anzio, is conserved in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. As in other free Roman-era copies, there are variations in the shaping of the soft-brimmed petasos Hermes wears and the angle of the kerykeion in his left hand.
The head of this type is known from 9 additional copies or variants, with the Broadlands and Uffizi heads mounted on modern busts, while those in Villa Albani and the Vatican are attached to torsos of a different, nearly related statue type. The head in Suimona, featuring Classical locks and a petasos, has a notably different face, indicating it may have been adapted for a portrait. [7]
The Ludovisi body type is known in fewer copies (in Lepcis Magna, the Louvre, and Palazzo Colonna, Side etc.) The Louvre statue (Marcellus as Hermes Logios) is fitted with a Roman portrait head. [7]
Major exhibits at the Museo Nazionale Romano | ||
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| Ludovico Ludovisi Collection |  | |
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