Dancing Satyr
Maker
Fonderia Chiurazzi
(Italian, founded 1870)
Dateearly 20th century
MediumBronze
Dimensions87 x 38 1/2 x 45 in. (221 x 97.8 x 114.3 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN5116
This middle-aged dancing satyr, attendant to the Greek wine god Dionysus, probably reproduces a bronze from the early decades of the Hellenistic period (323-31 BC), when the twisting figure was replacing more classical, restrained poses. In the nineteenth century, soon after the statue was unearthed in Rome, neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) restored the arms, placing crotales (antique cymbals) in his hands. The Greek original would most likely have held two flutes, however, as evidenced by the satyr’s puffed cheeks.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Outer Lobby
