Italian School, 18th Century - Figure Of A Satyr Carrying The Young Bacchus

Elegant statuette in carved boxwood, depicting a nude satyr lifting the young Bacchus onto his shoulders, with the child playfully holding a cluster of grapes. The anatomical rendering is exceptionally refined, and the polished surface of the wood enhances the sculptural volume and fluid upward movement of the composition. The figure, adorned with a foliate crown, reflects a synthesis of classical antiquity, late Baroque naturalism, and early Neoclassical taste.

The scale, finish, and subject suggest a piece intended for a cabinet of curiosities or connoisseur’s collection, possibly even created as an academic model. The old inscription at the base ("Infant Pan – Early Italian") points to an early — though likely mistaken — interpretation, but attests to its history as a collected and studied object.