The Hermes and the Infant Dionysus statue was discovered at Olympia in 1877.
The find came during German excavations at the ruins of the Temple of Hera. On 8 May 1877, archaeologists uncovered the main portion of the marble group: Hermes, the infant Dionysus, and part of the supporting tree trunk. Additional discoveries later revealed enough fragments to reconstruct the sculpture as it is displayed today.
The scene shows Hermes holding Dionysus, who was entrusted to him in myth for protection. The work is traditionally attributed to the great 4th-century BCE sculptor Praxiteles and is often called the Hermes of Praxiteles or the Hermes of Olympia. That attribution, however, remains controversial because the evidence depends largely on a brief description by the ancient traveler Pausanias and the statue lacks securely identified ancient replicas.
Carved from Parian marble, the group is admired for Hermes’ polished torso and softly modeled flesh. Traces of pigment and possible gilding survive on details such as the hair and sandal straps, reminding visitors that Greek sculpture was not always plain white.