Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children
Sculpture in the round • Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro Bernini
Style & Movement
Baroque
Medium & Technique
Marble; carved using traditional subtractive techniques including the use of drills, chisels, and rasps to achieve varying textures and undercutting
Creation Period
ca. 1616–1617
Dimensions & Format
Height: 52 1/8 inches (132.4 cm); vertical orientation intended to be viewed from multiple angles
Subject Description
A drunken faun or satyr, a follower of Bacchus, lunges forward to pick grapes while two young naked spirits (putti) playfully push him back and stuff their mouths with fruit. Below, a panther (or similar feline) reclines in the composition. The narrative captures a moment of playful, anarchic movement and sensory indulgence characteristic of Bacchanalian themes.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; well-preserved marble with visible patina consistent with museum display
Estimated Market Value
$50,000,000 - $80,000,000 (Estimate based on rarity and the historical significance of the artist)
Auction Estimate
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of the Borghese family in Rome; later held in the collection of the 1st Earl of Orford (Robert Walpole) at Houghton Hall; subsequently acquired for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift and other funds, 1976)
Art Historical Significance
A pivotal early work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, carved when he was only about eighteen years old in the studio of his father, Pietro. It demonstrates the transition from Mannerism to the dynamic, emotional, and technically virtuosic Baroque style. It showcases his precocious talent for defying the weight of marble through precarious, diagonal compositions.
Notable Features
Brilliant engineering allows the figures to appear balanced precariously; the heavy fruit clusters are deeply undercut; the base shows tool marks that contrast with the smooth skin of the figures
Condition Issues
Minor surface wear, small scuffs on the base, and typical aging of the marble surface; no major losses or structural damage visible
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable environmental controls (relative humidity and temperature); restrict physical contact to prevent oil transfer; periodic dry cleaning by specialists if dust accumulates