”SATYR”. TERRACOTTA. AFTER MODELS FROM CLODION, CLAUDE MICHEL (FRANCE, 1738-1814). LATE 19TH CENTURY-EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

“Satyr”. Patinated terracotta. Following models by Claude Michel Clodion (France, 1738-1814). Late 19th-early 20th century. A patinated terracotta sculpture consisting of an oval base decorated with simple architectural elements of classical influence and a tondo with a bust adorned with a garland, and two figures. These figures, reclining at the top, are a satyr (with his characteristic goat-like legs) holding a bunch of grapes, and a young nymph embracing him as she tries to reach the fruit. Compare this sculpture (though not so much the base) with the one entitled “Nymph and Satyr” in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, attributed to the sculptor Claude Michel, noting the similarities and differences. Pieces similar to this work, also known as “Satyr Feeding a Nymph with Grapes,” are held in several private collections. Claude Michel “Clodion” (1730–1814) was a French sculptor who trained with Lambert Sigisbert Adam and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. He received numerous awards (Prix de Rome in 1762, etc.) and maintained a prominent workshop in Paris from 1771. While he also produced large-scale works, he is best known for his small-format sculptures in bronze (or other materials such as calamine or terracotta). These works had a significant influence both during his lifetime and long after his death, inspiring countless other works.

· Size: 38x31x40 cms.