Now another sweet question.. This lady is smiling and I know nothing about this piece. Idk where the description is lol
That piece is a sculpture of Baccante (a follower of Bacchus the god of wine and partying--notice the grapes in her hand)--hence her smile. It is by the American sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies and dates to 1894.
Interesting tidbit: When the Brooklyn Museum purchased this sculpture in the early 20th century, it caused a stir in local newspapers with headlines like: "Nude Art In Museum Stirs Taxpayers" and "Shocked by Nude Art in Brooklyn." The piece was considered by some viewers to be "vulgar" and "immoral" in 1914!
In addition to the nudity, some viewers were bothered by this sculpture's depiction of motherhood. They thought the woman looked irresponsible and possibly drunk. After all, she is a follower of the Bacchus, the god of wine, and she is carrying a vine of grapes! ;)
Who did this sculpture? I really like it!
That is by Frederick MacMonnies and it's titled "Bacchante". The original version is bronze (about the same size). MacMonnies made it for his friend Charles F McKim, a famous architect who had just designed the building for the Boston Public Library. McKim wanted to place it in the central courtyard of the Library but many Bostonians objected, and it was rejected. They thought it was indecent that it showed drunkenness and that its nudity was also inappropriate.
This statue reminds me a lot of another statue of Hermes and Dionysus that I've seen. Was the artist in any way influenced other works?
Yes, definitely. MacMonnies spent a lot of time in Paris, and he studied classical sculpture from Greece and Rome in museums, as well as the sculpture of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. He was inspired by the subject matter he saw and by the sculptors' portrayals of the human body.
This work upset many viewers at the turn of the last century. The nude female figure was a little too lively for their taste! They assumed that she was intoxicated, since she was a Bacchante (a follower of the wine god Bacchus), and they didn't think she was being a responsible role model for parents. Therefore, she was a bad example to the American families of the 1890s who might see this scupture. She actually has two symbols of Bacchus/Dionysus as attributes: the grapes (for wine) and the lion-skin (since Dionysus sometimes took the shape of a lion in ancient myths).
Can you tell me a little bit about this one?
That is a sculpture of a Bacchante, a female follower of Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of wine and celebration. William MacMonnies was working in the later 1800s and he was influenced by classical Greco-Roman sculpture as well as by the Baroque period. This work upset many viewers when it was first made, because people did not like seeing a nude figure that was a laughing, intoxicated woman. It was supposed to be displayed in the courtyard of the Boston Public Library but it was rejected. It was considered improper and a bad example for children and families who would be using the Library!
Oh okay, so that's what the grapes represent.
Yes, the grapes represent Bacchus (for the wine) and so does the lion skin you see draped behind her. Bacchus has a Greek equivalent known as Dionysus and Dionysus sometimes takes the shape of a lion.
What is this made out of?
It is carved from marble.
Wow you have so much information, thanks.
Is this Bacchante?
Yes! Aside from the title, she can be identified as a Bacchante (a female follower of the wine god Bacchus) by her festive appearance and the bunch of grapes in her hand.
Tell me more.
MacMonnies' "Bacchante" is probably my favorite American sculpture on view! The figure's pose, I think, really embodies the revelrous attitude of a Bacchante from Classical mythology.
MacMonnies focused on natural movement, expression, and texture, more so than American sculptors who had come before him. He was especially inspired by the Italian Baroque era and his work is indeed reminiscent of the work of Bernini, for example.
Can you tell me about MacMonnies?
The sculptor MacMonnies was from Brooklyn but he studied in Paris and became internationally known. He was celebrated for his sculpture in the Beaux-Arts style, a style that became popular in America in the 1890s and was inspired by classical sources yet was also very ornamental and dynamic.
This work shows a Bacchante, who was a female follower of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. Doesn't it look like she is having a good time?
The first version of this sculpture was a bronze for the courtyard of Boston's public library. It was rejected on the grounds of indecency. Our version was also protested by a Brooklyn neighborhood organization in 1914!
Can you tell me about this?
This work is titled "Bacchante," and a bacchante is a female follower of Dionysus or Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, in classical Greek mythology. She's holding grapes (used to make wine) and she certainly looks very happy! She also has a lion's skin draped over her arm, a possible reference to Bacchus' ability to transform into a lion. MacMonnies posed his model on tiptoe. Follow her twisting movement from her feet up to her hand!
In 1914, a Brooklyn neighborhood organization actually protested this work because they considered it to be indecent. The majority of the comments that we get now are related to how it looks like she's taking a selfie.
Is this the same statue that is in the courtyard at the Boston Public Library?
Yes, good eye! MacMonnies created his first version of "Bacchante" in bronze for the Boston library. However, after the Boston public and some authorities protested its nudity, the sculpture was offered to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can still see it there! MacMonnies made several futher versions of the sculpture, including this marble version. The version you see in Boston now is a much later one, made from a cast of the original sculpture.
Tell me more.
MacMonnies was born in Brooklyn, but he trained in Paris, then the center of the art world. Most of the American NeoClassical sculptors worked in Europe.
A Bacchante is a female follower of Dionysus or Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry. MacMonnies's Bacchante holds grapes (a reference to wine) and a lion-skin (a possible reference to Bacchus's ability to transform into a lion).
What is the significance of the lion in MacMonnies' statue "Bacchante."
The lion pelt serves a few purposes. It is possible that it is a reference to Bacchus's ability to transform into a lion. In this marble sculpture, it also functions as a support for the rest of the sculpture.
The bronze version of this same sculpture, located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, doesn't include the lion pelt. Bronze, unlike marble, can support the bacchante as she lifts onto one foot without the threat of breaking.
![Recto: [Untitled] (Man in Boat)
Verso: [Untitled] (Beach Scene)](https://d1lfxha3ugu3d4.cloudfront.net/images/opencollection/objects/size2_sq/1999.143a_SL1.jpg)
