Negotiating the Hermes of Olympia: A Short History of Reception

The fourth volume of Grifos traces the first 150 years of the modern history of Praxiteles’s famous Hermes, discovered at Olympia in 1877. This exquisite marble sculpture quickly became one of the most celebrated and admired works of Greek art. Just fifty years after its discovery, the work's authenticity was seriously questioned. In the ensuing debates, experts were deeply divided, as evidence suggested that the work was not of 4th-century BC origin but a later copy. The question, however, was never definitively settled, and the discussion about the true nature of the Olympian Hermes continues to this day. The fluctuating status of this famous and delicate work can be examined through numerous scholarly studies, well-founded interpretations, and original explanations. These reflect not only fundamental shifts in archaeological and art historical discourse but also, at times, reveal political positions.