Minneapolis Institute of Art

Satyr and Nymph

Ferdinando Tacca

Date

17th century

Medium

Bronze

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

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. Italy, Europe

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