Vincenzo, Satyr Head, 1890s-1910s, Bronze

VINCENZO GEMITO
Naples 1852 - 1929
“Satyr Head”
Bronze sculpture measuring 30x24x18 on original marble base
Signed Gemito (on the side)
This beautifully detailed bronze bust by Vincenzo Gemito (Italian 1852-1929) depicts the satyr of Greco-Roman mythology, a god of the woods and disciple of Dionysus, known for his erotic desires and excessive consumption of wine. Yes, our satyr has a mischievous and lustful smile that the artist was able to capture with a great sense of personality. Wearing a crown of vine leaves and grapes weathered in a greener color, we notice the rudimentary horns and pointed ears. Gracefully placed near the edge of the marble base, the satyr's beard covers the base with great sculptural effect.


Vincenzo Gemito was an Italian sculptor and artist. Intolerant of academic art, he associated himself with other "rebel" artists, such as Antonio Mancini, Giovanni Battista Amendola, Achille D'Orsi and Ettore Ximenes. Between 1877 and 1880, he stayed in Paris and participated in three editions of the Universal Exhibition. Returning to Naples, he received important commissions but, following a mental breakdown, he remained locked up in a psychiatric hospital until 1909, when he began to sculpt, devoting himself, during the last years of his life, to the art of goldsmithing. Among his most important works are Il Malatiello (1870), The Neapolitan Fisherman (1877), The Statue of Carlo V (1887) and The Portrait of the Painter Jean Louis I.I. Meissonier (18