Marble Relief of Hermes, Three Nymphs, and Acheloos in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Marble relief of Hermes, three nymphs, and Acheloos
Greek, Attic, ca. 320-300 BC

Accession # 25.78.59

The relief represents Hermes escorting three nymphs, and at the back, the forepart of the river god Acheloos who is represented in the form of a bull. A mound stands for a rustic altar. The retrospective style of this relief imitates works of the Archaic period (ca. 600-480 BC). Numerous votive reliefs of this type, dedicated to Hermes, Pan, and the nymphs, have been found in Greece. In most of these scenes, a grotto marks the locality; this relief is unusual for its architectural frame.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.