Neapolitan school. Grand Tour. first quarter of the 19th century

Neapolitan school. Grand Tour. first quarter of the 19th century
"Silenus or drunken faun". After Antiquity.
Patinated bronze (lost wax).
Measurements: 18,5 x 20 x 11 cm.

This small patinated bronze sculpture represents a Silenus or faun, in a state of complete drunkenness. The work, dated to the first quarter of the 19th century and originally from Naples, is a clear example of the high quality souvenirs that wealthy travelers acquired during their Grand Tour of Italy.

The figure is depicted in a languid and uninhibited pose, reclining on what appears to be a wineskin, a classic attribute of the characters in the courtship of the god Dionysus. Her muscular and well-defined body slumps with a naturalism that effectively conveys the weight and abandonment of sleep or drunken unconsciousness.

The right arm is raised in a dramatic and expressive, almost theatrical gesture, while the head, crowned with ivy or vine leaves, leans back. This diagonal composition creates a sense of dynamism and instability, perfectly capturing the essence of the character and his state.

The sculpture was made using the lost wax casting technique, a complex method that allows for a high level of detail and precision.

The piece is directly inspired by Greco-Roman models, a common practice of Neoclassicism. Naples, along with Rome, was a center of production of these works inspired by the discoveries of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The term "Grand Tour", which first appeared in Richard Lassels' "The Voyage d'Italie", was the term used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, which was commonly undertaken by young British aristocrats from the 17th century onwards, but especially throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The purpose of the trip was for young people to become acquainted with the art and culture of France and Italy, to admire classical art at first hand, to learn or improve their knowledge of languages, and to establish contacts and relationships with the cultural and political elites of these countries. Travelers were often looking for pieces with which to start their own art collections, objects to take back to their places of residence as souvenirs. For this reason, workshops specialized in the replica of Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, emerged, some of which acquired a great reputation.