Satyr and Satyress
Statuette
1510-1520 (made)
1510-1520 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Riccio was probably the greatest sculptor of small bronzes in Renaissance Italy. He had close ties with the scholars of Padua University, who encouraged his interest in antiquity and owned many of his intimate figure groups. Here Riccio shows the lustful nature of the satyrs but also their tender relationship.
In this group Riccio challenges the notion of the Satyr as a wanton beast driven purely by carnal desires by creating a tender scene of intimacy between two creatures, albeit with an overt sexuality.
The Satyr and Satyress sit intertwined on a shallow integral base, their arms around each other's shoulders, her right leg resting over his left. The Satyr touches his partner's neck with his fingertips, his thumb resting on her chin, their lips pursed as if about to kiss.
The sexes are differentiated even in the detail: for example the male's eyebrows are marked with lines to indicate hair, while the female's are smooth. In contrast to her partner's goatlike legs, those of the Satyress, though hairy, are shapely like human's. Her hair is dressed elaborately, interwoven with ribbons and beads, and topped with a tiara decorated with shells; at the back it is tucked into swags, with ribbons that drape over the shoulders
In this group Riccio challenges the notion of the Satyr as a wanton beast driven purely by carnal desires by creating a tender scene of intimacy between two creatures, albeit with an overt sexuality.
The Satyr and Satyress sit intertwined on a shallow integral base, their arms around each other's shoulders, her right leg resting over his left. The Satyr touches his partner's neck with his fingertips, his thumb resting on her chin, their lips pursed as if about to kiss.
The sexes are differentiated even in the detail: for example the male's eyebrows are marked with lines to indicate hair, while the female's are smooth. In contrast to her partner's goatlike legs, those of the Satyress, though hairy, are shapely like human's. Her hair is dressed elaborately, interwoven with ribbons and beads, and topped with a tiara decorated with shells; at the back it is tucked into swags, with ribbons that drape over the shoulders
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Satyr and Satyress (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
Brief description | Bronze statuette of a satyr and satyress made by Andrea Riccio (Briosco) in Padua, 1515-1520. |
Physical description | The Satyr and Satyress sit intertwined on a shallow integral base, their arms around each other's shoulders, her right leg resting over his left. The Satyr touches his partner's neck with his fingertips, his thumb resting on her chin, their lips pursed as if about to kiss. The sexes are differentiated even in the detail: for example the male's eyebrows are marked with lines to indicate hair, while the female's are smooth. In contrast to her partner's goatlike legs, those of the Satyress, though hairy, are shapely like human's. Her hair is dressed elaborately, interwoven with ribbons and beads, and topped with a tiara decorated with shells; at the back it is tucked into swags, with ribbons that drape over the shoulders |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Presented by Art Fund |
Object history | In this group Riccio challenges the notion of the Satyr as a wanton beast driven purely by carnal desires by creating a tender scene of intimacy between two creatures, albeit with an overt sexuality. |
Historical context | Made in one base the group appears to be a direct cast, with a comparatively thin and even wall |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | Riccio was probably the greatest sculptor of small bronzes in Renaissance Italy. He had close ties with the scholars of Padua University, who encouraged his interest in antiquity and owned many of his intimate figure groups. Here Riccio shows the lustful nature of the satyrs but also their tender relationship. In this group Riccio challenges the notion of the Satyr as a wanton beast driven purely by carnal desires by creating a tender scene of intimacy between two creatures, albeit with an overt sexuality. The Satyr and Satyress sit intertwined on a shallow integral base, their arms around each other's shoulders, her right leg resting over his left. The Satyr touches his partner's neck with his fingertips, his thumb resting on her chin, their lips pursed as if about to kiss. The sexes are differentiated even in the detail: for example the male's eyebrows are marked with lines to indicate hair, while the female's are smooth. In contrast to her partner's goatlike legs, those of the Satyress, though hairy, are shapely like human's. Her hair is dressed elaborately, interwoven with ribbons and beads, and topped with a tiara decorated with shells; at the back it is tucked into swags, with ribbons that drape over the shoulders |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.8-1949 |
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Record created | March 5, 2004 |
Record URL |
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