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WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL
“The faun balances on his toes and pivots, his horned head raised, his wild hair wreathed with acorns. He is smiling lasciviously, flipping his tail, and snapping his fingers. This exuberant dance belongs to the world of Dionysos, evoking a rural, untamed life. The original statuette has been called the finest bronze ever found at Pompeii.”
HISTORY
The first version of this dancing faun was discovered in October 1830, installed in the middle of an impluvium, the pool in the atrium, of a Pompeiian house that filled an entire city block. The house was named the House of the Faun (Pompeii VI.12.2) after the statuette (2), which, much like the great Alexander Mosaic from the same house, immediately became famous.
In 1860, under Victor Emmanuel II, the antiquities from Pompeii were put on view for the general public in the National Archaeological Museum at Naples. Permits for taking molds from antiquities in order to copy them were soon granted to various individuals and institutions. The reproductions that these enterprises offered were often reduced in scale, making them easy for Grand Tourists to take home to northern Europe, Britain, or America. This statuette is surely a souvenir of the Grand Tour.
*description from Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums here.
WHAT WAS THE GRAND TOUR?
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An extended journey across the major cities of primarily France and Italy, the Grand Tour was a popular 18th-century ‘rite of passage’ taken mostly by young, aristocratic English men. Experiencing the art, architecture, and antiquity of the region was the culmination of a classical education that afforded status and independence. Travelers brought back mementos, art, and relics as a material legacy of their journey to adorn their estates and tell the tales of their trip.
Read a wonderful summary of the Grand Tour by The Royal Museums Greenwich.
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In good condition with fine detail and patina commensurate with age. Likely late 19th to early 20th century. There is a hairline fracture in the bronze at the left ankle, likely a flaw from the original lost-wax casting. Appears to be structurally sound with no evidence of break or repairs. Possibly composed of leaded brass, similar to the Harvard Art Museum specimen.
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