Three Figure Relief

Shallow relief of Hermes, Eurydice and Orpheus. Orpheus is shown leading back Eurydice from the underworld, with Hermes, the god of travelling, in attendance. Hermes is identified by the sun hat he has on his shoulder, Orpheus the musician by his lyre.

This is one of several very similar Roman copies of a Greek original. The date of the original is shortly after the completion of the Parthenon, and since the poses are reminiscent of some of the figures on the Parthenon frieze, this relief shows the powerful influence that the great temple exerted

Number

162

Material

Marble

Location of Original

Rome, Villa Albani 1031

Size

1.04 x 0.96m

Accession

Given by Oscar Browning, October 1876

References

Lippold: Griechische Plastik, 202 (n.4)
Walston: Catalogue of Casts in the Museum of Classical Archaeology (1889), 75, no.356 (?)
Thompson: Hesperia XXI (1952), 60-
Götze: Römische Mittheilung LIII (1938), 191-, pl. 33.1
Collection Latomus II (1949)
Robinson, DM: A New Roman Copy of the Orpheus Relief, pls. XXIII-XXIV, fig.2 (for two fragments of a relief in the Palatine)

Date

Roman. Original: late C5 BCE

Provenance

Unknown

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