Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children 1611 - 1622

Gian Lorenzo Bernini made this marble sculpture, Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children, sometime in the 1610s in Rome. It depicts a scene of revelry, with a semi-nude faun surrounded by playful children, all intertwined with grapevines and symbols of Bacchus, the god of wine. The work reflects the cultural climate of Baroque Rome, where the Catholic Church and wealthy patrons used art to convey power and grandeur. Bernini's sculpture, with its overt references to classical mythology, aligns with the era's fascination with antiquity. However, its themes of hedonism and sensual abandon also hint at the social tensions between religious piety and earthly pleasures. By looking at period sources, such as letters, diaries, and commissioned works, we can see the artist creating meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations, deepening our understanding of the sculpture’s role within the complex social fabric of 17th-century Rome.