St. Varvara and Mercury 1925

Yannoulis Chalepas crafted "St. Varvara and Mercury" in an unknown year, using clay. The figures are depicted in profile, with the head of Hermes, or Mercury as the Romans would call him, shown in a winged cap, a symbol of his role as a messenger between the gods and mortals, guiding souls to the afterlife. The veiled figure of Saint Barbara echoes ancient traditions. The veil, across time, has symbolized modesty and protection, but also the hidden and divine. We see it in depictions of veiled goddesses and mourning figures of antiquity. The presence of Mercury, a pagan god, alongside Saint Barbara, a Christian martyr, is telling. It speaks to the persistence of ancient beliefs, not replaced but layered with new meanings, resurfacing in unexpected forms. The rough clay and the somber presentation may evoke collective memories of loss, mourning, and the search for spiritual guidance, engaging viewers in a deep, subconscious dialogue with the past. The cycle of death and rebirth echoes through time.