The present relief is related to a series of representations of the seven planetary deities together with the goddess Cybele, which adorned the four extremities of the north and south galleries of the Amsterdam Town Hall, now the Royal Palace. Jacob van Campen was the architect responsible for the building, which was begun in 1648 and opened in 1655. From around 1650 to 1664, Artus Quellinus the Elder was in charge of the sculptural decoration of the project, on which he was assisted by a large team, which included Rombaut Verhulst, Artus Quellinus the Younger, Bartholomeus Eggers, and probably Gabriel Grupello.
A considerable number of terracottas connected with the project are known, many of which are in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Five of them representing deities (Leeuwenberg and Halsema-Kubes, op. cit., nos. 289-93) ) are on approximately the same scale as the present relief, while others are larger (Leeuwenberg and Halsema-Kubes, op. cit., nos. 294-6), and exhibit variations in their degree of finish. Scholarly opinion has remained divided concerning which are originals by Quellinus, which are workshop versions of original sketch models, and which - if any - are later reductions. In some cases, more than one version of a given relief is known, but this appears to be the only surviving Mercury, and is of very high quality. The iconography of the reliefs is based on renaissance mythological manuals, and explains some of the elements of the present piece. For while the caduceus and money-bag are traditional attributes of Mercury, the cock and goat are not. They derive from Vincenzo Cartari (loc. cit.), where it is stated - without any further explanation - that they stand for vigilance and industry. The iconography of the reliefs was carefully planned to relate to the functions of the rooms they flanked, and probably explains the use of this particular source.
We are extremely grateful to Dr. Elizabeth McGrath of the Warburg Institute for assistance with the cataloguing of the present lot.