Bacchante and Infant Faun

Copied Frederick MacMonnies, Bacchante and Infant Faun, 1894, bronze, 34 x 10 3⁄4 x 14 1⁄2 in. (86.3 x 27.4 x 36.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1968.23
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Artwork Details

Title
Bacchante and Infant Faun
Artist
Founder
Jaboeuf et Rouard Fondeurs
Date
1894
Location
Dimensions
34 x 10 3⁄4 x 14 1⁄2 in. (86.3 x 27.4 x 36.8 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Mythology — classical — bacchante
  • Mythology — classical — faun
  • Figure group — female and child — nude
Object Number
1968.23
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.23

Artwork Description

A nineteen-year-old mother and baby modeled for Frederick MacMonnies’ most popular work, Bacchante and Infant Faun. Bacchantes were mythological figures who served the infant god of wine, Bacchus. The French government bought a cast of the statue at the 1894 Paris Salon, securing MacMonnies’ reputation as a formidable sculptor. The original version was later put on display at the Boston Public Library, where it caused one of the greatest art scandals of the decade. Citizens were upset, not only because the statue represented debauchery and drunkenness, but also because the sculptor had shamelessly modeled a “naked” person rather than a classical nude figure.