Mercury thumbnail 1
Not on display

Mercury

Statuette
ca. 1550-1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Venice (made)

This is a bronze statuette representing Mercury made in Venice in about 1550-1600. It is made probably after a Michaleangelo drawing.
Mercury (Greek counterpart: Hermes) is one of the twelve gods of Olympus. He often appears as a messenger of the gods or as a guide, with youthful attitudes, being graceful and athletic. He was the son and messenger of Jupiter.

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Bronze
Myths & Legends
Object type
Statuette
TitleMercury (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze. Quaternary alloy, with antimony, nickel, silver (and iron).
Bronze
Cast
Brief description
Statuette, bronze, of Mercury, Venetian, 1550-1600
Physical description
Bronze statuette of Mercury. He stands, naked, on his right foot, the left thrown back and resting on a bronze support; his head is upturned, wearing a winged helmet, his left hand raised and his right held down. On a narrow oval base.
Dimensions
  • Height: 38cm
  • Circumference: 10 x 7 cm (Base) (Note: Measured for Large Bronzes of the Renaissance publication)
  • Weight: 4207.3g (Note: Measured for Large Bronzes of the Renaissance publication)
  • Width: 19cm
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
From the Salting bequest in 1910.
Subject depicted
Mercury
Summary
This is a bronze statuette representing Mercury made in Venice in about 1550-1600. It is made probably after a Michaleangelo drawing.
Mercury (Greek counterpart: Hermes) is one of the twelve gods of Olympus. He often appears as a messenger of the gods or as a guide, with youthful attitudes, being graceful and athletic. He was the son and messenger of Jupiter.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 8
  • Motture, Peta, ed. by, Large Bronzes in the Renaissance, Yale University Press, 2003, p. 298
  • Motture, Peta. “The Production of Firedogs in Renaissance Venice”, in: Motture, Peta (ed.), Large Bronzes in the Renaissance, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2003, pp. 276-307 p. 298
  • Van Binnebeke, Emile. Bronze Sculpture: Sculpture from 1500-1800 in the collection of the Boymans-van Beuningen Museum. Rotterdam, 1994, pp. 70-71, cat. No. 12
  • Motture, Peta. “The Production of Firedogs in Renaissance Venice”, in: Motture, Peta (ed.), Large Bronzes in the Renaissance, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2003, pp. 276-307
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.112-1910

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Record createdOctober 21, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106660/mercury-statuette-unknown/
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