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Hope Dionysus

Hope Dionysus is a marble statue of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. He wears a panther skin over a short chiton and under an himation, and extends his restored left arm above a small female figure for support. That figure has been interpreted as a possible representation of Spes, the goddess of hope, or as a statue of a hermaic pillar type. The sculpture dates from the Roman period, between 27 and 68, and was restored by Vincenzo Pacetti. It is inspired by a Greek model.

Hope Dionysus marble statue of a male figure leaning beside a draped female figure on a rocky support.
Hope Dionysus, a marble statue of Dionysus leaning on a female figure.
© · CC0
Hope Dionysus, a marble statue of a male figure with a leafy wreath, draped tunic, and animal skin over his shoulder, stands beside a smaller draped female figure in a museum gallery.
Hope Dionysus displayed on a pedestal in a museum gallery, with a smaller draped figure beside the main marble statue.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hope Dionysus, a white marble statue of a standing male figure with a wreath and raised arm, leaning beside a veiled female figure.
Hope Dionysus, showing a male marble figure leaning beside a smaller veiled female figure.
June 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
Hope Dionysus marble statue with a draped figure leaning beside a smaller female figure holding an object
Hope Dionysus, a marble statue showing a draped figure leaning beside a smaller female figure.
June 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
Hope Dionysus, a white marble statue of a standing classical figure with a raised left arm beside a smaller draped figure in a museum gallery.
Hope Dionysus displayed in a grand museum room with tall columns and a skylight.
October 2025 © · CC BY 4.0

Identification

TitleHope Dionysus
Alternative nameDionysus Hope; Dionysus leaning on a female figure
TypeRoman marble statue

Historical context

DateBetween 27 BC and AD 68
StyleNeo-Attic or archaizing pose
Original modelBelieved to copy a 4th-century BC Greek bronze original

Creator

RestorerVincenzo Pacetti

Discovery and provenance

Former ownerThomas Hope or Henry Philip Hope
Previous ownerFrancis Howard, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin
Purchased fromVincenzo Pacetti
Named afterThomas Hope

Location and ownership

Current locationMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Acquisition date1990

Physical characteristics

Height82 in. (2.1 m)
Depicted figureDionysus
Secondary figureA small female figure used as support; possibly Elpis/Spes or a herm-like statue
PoseDionysus leans on the small female figure and extends his restored left arm over it
Left arm conditionRestored
ClothingPanther skin (pardalide) over a short chiton and under an himation
FootwearHigh sandals with animal heads on the projecting leather flaps

Iconography and meaning

SubjectDionysus, Greek god of wine and liberation of the senses

Other

Original presence of secondary figureUnclear whether the female figure was present in the original Greek version
Function of secondary figurePossibly added in Roman times to support the outstretched arm