Atributted to Louis François Roubiliac

Attributed to LOUIS FRANÇOIS ROUBILIAC (France, 1702-1762).
"Satyr.
Terracotta.
With faults.
Provenance: Galerie Ratton Ladriere (Paris).
Size: 7 x 5,5 x 3,5 cm; 14 cm (base).
Round sculpture representing the face of a satyr. Related to the Maenads, the satyrs form the "Dionysian cortege" that accompanies the god Dionysus. They are depicted in various forms; the most common (and basically Roman) is that of a half-man, half-ram creature, with pointed ears and horns on his head, abundant hair, a flat nose, a goat's tail and a permanent priapism. One tradition considered the sons of Silenus, named Maron, Leneus and Astreo, to have been the fathers of the satyrs. All three were in Dionysus' retinue when he travelled to India, and Astreo was in fact his chariot driver. Satyrs are cheerful and mischievous creatures (noticeable in the sketched smile), although their light-hearted and festive nature can turn dangerous and even violent (which explains why our sculpture has a frown). As Dionysian creatures, they are lovers of wine, women and physical pleasures. This type of sculpture, due to its classicist aesthetic and its subject matter, is very similar to the production that took place during the "Grand Tour", a term that first appeared in Richard Lassels' work "Le Voyage d'Italie".
Aesthetically the piece is reminiscent of the works of the French sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac, who trained in the workshop of Balthasar Permoser in Dresden and later in Paris in the workshop of his fellow countryman Nicolas Coustou. Disappointed by his second place in the competition for the Prix de Rome in 1730, he moved to London where he achieved great success and popularity.