Barbedienne: Young Borghese Faun, 19th Century

Very beautiful sculpture inbronze with brown patina representing a faun or the satyr Marsyasplaying the flute, after the antique. Stamped by '' F.BARBEDIENNE. FONDEUR. '' and round stamp ''RÉDUCTION MÉCANIQUE A.COLLAS BREVETÉ''

Juvenile male figure,nude, with smooth, continuous treatment of volumes; adolescent bellyslightly rounded, ribcage barely marked, claviclessoftened. Knees and malleoli well described; toes individualizedwith nails indicated. The hands are slender, with clean phalangesand outlined nails. Youthful face, softened features,full cheekbones, straight nose, heavy eyelids; short, curly haircurly, locks treated in deep ribbons. Standing in markedcontrapposto. Legs crossed, weight carried on the left leg.right foot grazes the edge of the base. The torsotilts slightly to the left; the head, with tight curlsturned towards the instrument. The lipsare flush with the mouthpiece of the right flute, held in both hands.left hand grips the body of the instrument, the right handfingers over the holes. The figure relaxes against anangular pedestal covered by a heavy drape with deep folds;a lion's body is thrown in. On a rectangular base with straightstraight edges.

Marsyas, Phrygian satyr,picks up Athena's aulos, then challenges Apollo to a musicalcontest; judged by the Muses, he loses, and Apollo has him flayedskinned alive. The hanging skin refers to this punishment, while the graceful attitudewhile the graceful stance and flute maintain the bucolic ambiguityinherited from ancient fauns.

Very good condition

Dimensions:
Height: 40 cm
Width: 15 cm
Depth: 10 cm