In Italian, “Erma” typically refers to a bust statue of the Greek messenger god, Hermes. Busts of the god’s handsome face and muscular arms were often placed on pillars to mark and protect personal boundaries. In the case of Negri’s sculpture, the abstracted and elongated figure has legs but no head or arms, lending an unexpected, modernist twist to this classical subject. 

Bequest of Lawrence H. Bloedel, Class of 1923, to Williams College Museum of Art. 77.9.69.

Located at Field Farm.