Bacchus and a Faun

Probably Milanese 16th Century

National Gallery of Art

This free-standing bronze sculpture shows a nude, cleanshaven man looking at a bunch of grapes he holds up in one hand as a faun, a boy with goat’s legs, looks on. In this photograph, the man’s lean, muscular body is angled to our left, and we see his face in profile. He has a straight nose, and his lips curl up in a smile. A leafy vine wraps around his thick, wavy hair, and another bunch of grapes hangs at the back of his neck. He holds the other bunch of grapes up high in his right hand, to our left. He holds a shallow dish in his other hand, with that bent elbow tucked near his ribcage. He stands with most of his weight on his left leg, to our right, so his hips and shoulders gently twist upward to the raised hand. The toes of his other foot rest behind him, his heel raised. To our right, the child-like faun comes up to the man’s hip. He has chubby cheeks and a small nose but muscles are defined in his torso and arms. He also has grape leaves on his head, with clusters of grapes at each ear. Wide-eyed and with an open smile, he gazes up toward the bowl and grapes that the man holds. A fabric strap is knotted on the faun’s right shoulder, and it runs diagonally across his body to his left hip where he holds two more large bunches of grapes and leaves. His upper thighs are covered with dense, wavy hair, while his lower legs are mostly bare, ending in cloven hooves. The pair stand on a circular base with bunches of grapes around the faun’s feet and hanging over the edge. The bronze is dark brown with bright white reflections where the light falls across the smooth surfaces. Touches of muted green patina are visible in some spots. The entire piece stands on a square, stone base marbled with tan and cream white, and the background is light gray.