The Sleeping Faun
Jean-Joseph Carriès
French, 1855–1894

Details
Title
The Sleeping Faun
Artist/Maker
Jean-Joseph Carriès (French, 1855–1894)
Date
1885
Medium
Plaster with brown patina
Dimensions
13 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from Alfred Austell Thornton in memory of Leila Austell Thornton and Albert Edward Thornton, Sr., and Sarah Miller Venable and William Hoyt Venable and High Museum of Art Enhancement Fund
Accession #
1997.236
A part-human, part-goat creature from Roman mythology, the faun was a popular subject in late nineteenth-century French art. This portrait of a sleeping faun emphasizes the furry, pointed ears that identify the satyr-like beast. It is one of about a dozen versions Carriès produced in bronze, ceramic, and plaster.