A Roman marble statue of a young satyr wearing a theater mask of Silenos (ca. 1st century AD,b
A Roman marble statue of a young satyr wearing a theater mask of Silenos (ca. 1st century AD,by anonymous sculptor, with 1628 restorations by Alessandro Algardi, now hosted at the Art Institute of Chicago.It’s one of the most enigmatic sculptures at the Art Institute of Chicago. Nearly two-feet-tall, this Roman marble work depicts a striding nude, hidden, from the waist up, beneath the larger head of a bearded man. The giant face has hollowed-out eyes and a gaping mouth through which a tiny hand reaches, as if waving, or just trying to feel its way around. Dating to the 1st century CE, the work was excavated in the early 1620s from the grounds of the Villa Ludovisi in Rome, in antiquity the “Gardens of Sallust” (Horti Sallustiani) which occupied the site of ancient pleasure gardens property of the historian Sallust.The statue is undeniably weird. At a glance, it seems like a grotesque creature, perhaps a sculpted version of a monster from medieval marginalia. But look closer and you’ll spot a subtle grin beneath an eye socket, and see that the large face is actually held up by the figure’s left hand. It’s given name somewhat clarifies the scene: “Statue of a Young Satyr Wearing a Theater Mask of Silenos.”The areas of the sculpture that are whiter than others are restorations made in the early 17th century by the renowned Italian sculptor Alessandro Algardi. In Greek mythology, Silenos was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus (a.k.a. Bacchus by the Romans). He was considerably older than the satyrs of the Dionysian entourage. A notorious consumer of wine, Silenos was usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. Yet, he was described as the wisest of the followers of Dionysus.Just imagine the others… ;-) -- source link