Ferdinando TaccaItalian, 1619–1686Satyr and Nymph
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the sculpture
A mostly nude nymph slumbers against a rock, while a half-man, half-goat Satyr reaches toward her. What are his intentions, and what happens next? In Renaissance and Baroque symbolism, the female figure often stands for the human soul, whereas the male—especially when characterized by a Satyr or other hybrid animal—symbolizes the bodily forces of hunger, thirst, and sexual lust. This sculpture presents a pivotal, open-ended moment, and the viewer is left to imagine what follows. In the 1600s, this kind of artwork was used as a conversation piece that prompted intellectuals to ponder the meaning and the conclusion of the scene.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 58.21
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 8 days ago
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
