Il nudo maschile nella statuaria italiana: RICCIO -- seated faun with syrinx

Speranza

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After a model by Riccio Seated Faun with Syrinx c. 1530 or after (?) Bronze with silvered eyes The Quentin Foundation Cat. No. 24

The Faun is a recently discovered, later variant of Riccio’s seated shepherd model. The unknown artist has transformed Riccio’s inventive subject into a mythological being. Though this Faun nearly replicates the pose of Riccio’s Walters Shepherd, the contrast between the Faun’s generalized musculature and meticulous detail, like the syrinx’s bindings, reflects a later aesthetic. The silvered eyes and rough surface also imitate the physical appearance of ancient bronzes more overtly than was typical of Riccio. This classicizing reformulation of Riccio’s composition was likely made to satisfy collectors’ demands for ancient statuettes.