Sleeping Hermaphrodite is a marble sculpture

 

The Sleeping Hermaphrodite is a marble sculpture that represents the character of Greek mythology Hermaphrodite, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, and became Hermaphrodita, life-sized and lying on a mattress. The mattress was sculpted and added in 1620 by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini .

The model is derived, on the one hand, from ancient representations of Venus and other female artistic nude, and, on the other, from contemporary representations of the feminized god inHellenistic art Dionysus/Bacus. It's a repeated theme several times during the Hellenistic period and also in ancient Rome, judging by the large number of versions that have survived.

Discovered in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, this Sleeping Hermaphrodite was quickly reclaimed and purchased by Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese becoming part of the Borghese Collection. Later it was sold to Napoleonic troops during the campaign of Italy (1796-1797) , who transferred it to the Louvre Museum, where it is currently located.

This Hermaphrodite has been described as a good quality copy of the Imperial Roman era, inspired by a bronze original by one of the two Greek sculptors called Polyicles, (probably "the Younger" of the 2nd century. C. ). The original sculpture, dating back to about 155 a. C., was also mentioned in the Natural History of Pliny the Old.

Introduction:

Nestled in the realm of classical art, the Sleeping Hermaphrodite stands as a captivating testament to the artistic brilliance of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This life-sized marble sculpture breathes life into the character of Hermaphrodite from Greek mythology, weaving together the mythic lineage of Hermes and Aphrodite. Let's explore the intricacies of this masterpiece, where myth meets marble.