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The sculpture represents a male figure in a dynamic walking pose with one arm raised slightly and the other hand placed on the hip. The figure is unclothed except for a flowing drape that partially covers the torso and hips. The material appears to be bronze, displaying a dark brown and slightly metallic sheen, with areas that catch light hinting at its smooth surface. The sculpture is set upon a round, dark plinth, elevating the figure. The figure's muscular definition and poise are depicted with detailed precision.
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The sculpture represents a male figure in a dynamic walking pose with one arm raised slightly and the other hand placed on the hip. The figure is unclothed except for a flowing drape that partially covers the torso and hips. The material appears to be bronze, displaying a dark brown and slightly metallic sheen, with areas that catch light hinting at its smooth surface. The sculpture is set upon a round, dark plinth, elevating the figure. The figure's muscular definition and poise are depicted with detailed precision.

National Gallery of Art · Sculpture

A Dancing Faun

Giovanni Francesco Rustici

Date
model c. 1515, cast possibly mid-16th century
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 15.2 x 8.4 cm (6 x 3 5/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture · Small Bronze
Accession number
1957.14.15
Credit line
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Time span
1501 to 1550
Department
CSD
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • Florentine
  • classical
  • mythology
  • Renaissance
  • European Small Bronzes before 1900
  • Faun
Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 with the entire Dreyfus collection by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London, New York, and Paris); sold 1944 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

NGA object ID 43735. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.