Mercury

The quality of this statuette of Mercury clearly sets it apart from any mass production. Here, the artist was inspired by classical Greek statuary and by the work of the great sculptor Lysippos in particular. The powerfully muscular naked body is shown standing still, but strength and energy lie beneath its seemingly casual pose. The man’s balance looks unstable, his weight on his right foot with his left foot behind it. To offset this imbalance, the torso leans back slightly. His pose turns his shoulders and hips in the opposite direction, creating a dynamic contrapposto. His muscles quiver under the tension of his body, which is set for action. His head appears free to move while his silver-encrusted eyes enhance the masculine features of his face. Only the buckle of the broken wings in his curly hair allows the statuette to be identified as Mercury. The arms, which have been lost, must have held a purse or a caduceus—the traditional attributes of the god, who was particularly venerated in Roman Gaul.