The Barberini Faun, also known as the Drunken Satyr or the Sleeping Faun, is among the most famous marble sculptures of the classical era...
Originally created in the 3rd Century BC, it likely came from Pergamon. The version preserved in the Glyptothek in Munich is a high-quality Roman copy from the 1st Century AD, although many scholars believe it may be the Greek original. The 1.92m-tall statue was first found in 1624, fragmented, in the moat of Castel Sant'Angelo, once Hadrian's Mausoleum. It became part of the collection of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, after whom it was named.
According to the Byzantine historian Procopius, during the siege of Rome in 537 AD, the Romans threw statues from Hadrian's Mausoleum at the Goths. This story has led some to believe that the Faun may have been destroyed in a similar manner. In 1814, due to financial difficulties, the Barberini family sold the work to Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, sparking considerable outrage among artists and writers, such as Antonio Canova.
Today, it is considered the most significant work in the Munich Glyptothek. The statue depicts a faun, apparently drunk and asleep on a rock, probably after drinking wine, in an asymmetrical and deliberately awkward pose, with his right arm bent behind his head for support.
This gesture appears natural, but is difficult to sculpt in marble. The satyr has an athletic build with remarkably well-defined muscles. He has a small tail, an ivy crown, and panther fur, symbols associated with Dionysus, the god of wine. His natural posture and confident stance, with his legs spread and his genitals exposed, reflect the typical boldness and playful mischief of satyrs, as can also be seen in scenes on painted vases.
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