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Bacchante with Infant Faun

A work made of bronze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of bronze.

Date:

Modeled 1894, cast after 1894

Artist:

Frederick W. MacMonnies (American, 1863–1937)
Cast by Jaboeuf et Rouard
Paris, France

About this artwork

As one of the nation’s most important sculptors of the Gilded Age, Frederick William MacMonnies garnered many public and private commissions at the turn of the 20th century. Bacchante with Infant Faun, however, was not created on commission. Instead, MacMonnies gave the life-size version of the bronze to his friend the architect Charles McKim. The sculpture was soon at the center of a public scandal when McKim attempted to give it to the new Boston Public Library. Some among Boston’s elite chafed at the mythical figure’s nudity and her drunken dance. MacMonnies’s naturalistic modeling—bones, muscles, and even teeth convincingly rendered—challenged Victorian sensibilities. McKim eventually gave the statue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bronze reductions, such as this one, nevertheless remained popular with the public.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Frederick William MacMonnies (Sculptor)

Title

Bacchante with Infant Faun

Place

Paris (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Modeled 1894

Medium

Bronze

Inscriptions

Signed on base: "F. MacMonnies, 1894" Foundry (stamped): "Jaboeuf & Rouard / FONDEURS/A/PARIS/10 & 12/R DE L'ASILE POPINCOURT"

Dimensions

H.: 86.3 cm (34 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by the Brooks and Hope B. McCormick Foundation

Reference Number

1984.571

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/102622/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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