Cleveland Museum of Art

A Satyr Family Traveling

Stefano Della BellaLinkedCulture matchlcp-d832503078b2

Date

c. 1657

Medium

etching

Culture

Italy, 17th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Object ID

138785

The idea of a satyr family captured the imagination of many artists. Stefano Della Bella’s portrayal features a father and mother who travel with their satyr son, maenad daughter, and a herd of goats while carrying a grape harvest. Della Bella deliberately evoked images of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on their flight to Egypt. Whereas the Holy Family is sacred and chaste, the satyr family is rooted in bodily pleasures. Theirs is a union fueled by wine and revelry, embodying the reckless fertility of nature. The patriarch of this satyr family carries a pan flute on his hip. Named for Pan, shepherd god and friend of Bacchus in classical mythology, the pan flute was associated with pastoral settings.

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