Opdracht kunst voor de Lage Landen
Gemaakt in opdracht van de Lage Landen.
Nel Knoop heeft deze bronzen Mercurius speciaal voor de Lage Landen gemaakt in een gelimiteerde oplage.
De Lage Landen biedt de Mercurius jaarlijks wereldwijd aan als award voor medewerkers voor bijzondere verdiensten.
MERCURY, limited edition of 40
Bronze, rich black/green patination.
Made by the Dutch Artis: Nel Knoop as a commission for de Lage Landen.
The planet of Mercurius was personified by the Greeks and Romans by the God
of Hermes/Mercury. He was the god of merchants and messenger of the gods. "Mercury was the son of Zeus and Maia, goddess of clouds and one of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas.
He presided over commerce, wrestling, and other gymnastic exercises,
even over thieving, and everything, in short, which required skill and dexterity.
He was the messenger of Zeus, and wore a winged cap and winged shoes.
He bore in his hand a rod entwined with two serpents, called the caduceus.
Mercury is said to have invented the lyre. He found, one day, a tortoise, of which he took the shell, made holes in the opposite edges of it, and drew cords of linen through them, and the instrument was complete. The cords were nine, in honor of the nine Muses Mercury gave the lyre to Apollo and received from him in exchange the caduceus."
In his job as messenger, he wears a broad-rimmed traveler’s hat called a petasos or petasus, talaria or winged sandals made "of imperishable gold which bore him swift as a breath of air over sea and earth," and carries a cadeuceus or herald's staff around which serpents or ribbons may be found. The cadeuceus is said to be able to charm men's eyes to sleep. He also carries a purse (more like a money-bag actually....). The purse signifies his role as the Greek god of riches, trade and good fortune and the Roman god of trade, profit, merchants and travelers. Among his personal favorite commercial activities was the corn trade. Mercury's relationship to business and speed survive in words like "mercurial" and mercantile." Because of his speed he is sometimes considered a god of the winds.
Often he was portrait as a beautiful young man.
For Nel Knoop mythology is an important source of inspiration. She made this Mercury in a timeless sense and she tried to give this contemporary Mercury a more abstract form. In which she succeeded beautifully.
