“ Mercury's Caduceus ” (1991), a bronze and granite sculpture by John Van Alstine, draws on Mercury (the Greek Hermes) and his winged staff as a point of departure. Rather than literal depiction, Van Alstine abstracts the caduceus into a dynamic arrangement of stone and metal that suggests speed, balance, and exchange. The sweeping forms and wing-like elements evoke motion and ascent, while the contrast of bronze and granite underscores a dialogue between the fleeting and the permanent.

The sculpture reflects a central aim of Van Alstine's career: to choreograph heavy, earthbound materials into states of apparent levity. Granite, typically associated with mass and permanence, is activated through careful placement, while bronze serves as a connective, directional force. The result is a composition that feels less static than suspended—capturing the artist's enduring pursuit of making weight appear to lift, and of revealing within solid matter a surprising sense of movement and flight.