Mercury; Virtue Triumphant over Vice, Statue depicts the Greco-Roman God Mercury in flight wearing his winged sandals and carrying the staff of Caduceus. His foot lightly rests on a column of water coming out of the mouth of Zephyr, the God of the western wind. The statue is likely Giambologna's most famous works and emblematic of his growing mannerist style, Mercury's body is elongated and he appears to transcend gravity. The statue was commissioned by Cosimo Medici as a gift to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II., 1580

 Item — Box: 302
Identifier: spc-mss0088-s46-i0440

Staff Only
Mercury; Virtue Triumphant over Vice, Statue depicts the Greco-Roman God Mercury in flight wearing his winged sandals and carrying the staff of Caduceus. His foot lightly rests on a column of water coming out of the mouth of Zephyr, the God of the western wind. The statue is likely Giambologna's most famous works and emblematic of his growing mannerist style, Mercury's body is elongated and he appears to transcend gravity. The statue was commissioned by Cosimo Medici as a gift to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II.

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Scope and Contents

Vanderbilt photo identifier: SC.MSS.088.SCUL.0414; Public Notes:

Dates

  • Creation: 1580

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Subjects: Mercury; Sculptures; Greco-Roman Mythology; Greco-Roman Divine Attributes; Staff of Caduceus; Zephyr; Winged Sandals; School: Flemish; Style period: High Renaissance to Mannerism; Technique: sculpting; Work type: sculpture

Full Extent

1 Items : Image Work Type: photographic print ; Image height (in.): 9.8; Image width (in.): 7.2in.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

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