Marsyas

Balthasar Permoser

ca. 1680–85 · Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Flayed alive after losing a musical contest to the god Apollo, the satyr Marsyas screams in the midst of his torture. Every aspect of the figure, from squinting eyes to torn tongue and flamelike hair, contributes to this image of torment. Early in his career, the sculptor Permoser worked in Florence, where this bust likely was carved. It is his personal response to Gianlorenzo Bernini's dramatic style, especially the Damned Soul of about 1619 (Palazzo di Spagna, Rome). While important sculptures by Pietro and Gianlorenzo Bernini are represented in the Museum's collection, Marsyas is our first work by Permoser, who helped to transmit the Italian Baroque style to Germany when he returned to his native Dresden.

Artist

Balthasar Permoser

Date

ca. 1680–85

Medium

Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels

Culture

German, executed Rome or Florence

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Rogers Fund and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 2002