| The Goat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Gian Lorenzo Bernini |
| Year | 1609–1615 |
| Catalogue | 1 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Carrara marble |
| Dimensions | 44 cm (17 in) |
| Location | Galleria Borghese,Rome |
| Coordinates | 41°54′50.4″N12°29′31.2″E / 41.914000°N 12.492000°E /41.914000; 12.492000 |
| Followed by | Bust of Giovanni Battista Santoni |
The Goat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun is the earliest known work by the Italian artistGian Lorenzo Bernini. Produced sometime between 1609 and 1615,[1][2][3] the sculpture is now in theBorghese Collection at theGalleria Borghese in Rome.
According toFilippo Baldinucci, even before Pietro Bernini moved his family from Naples to Rome, eight-year-old Gian Lorenzo created a "small marble head of a child that was the marvel of everyone".[4] Throughout his teenage years, he produced numerous images containingputti, chubby male children usually nude and sometimes winged. Distinct fromcherubim, who represent the second order of angels, theseputti figures were secular and presented a non-religious passion.[5]
Of the three surviving marble groups ofputti that can be attributed to Bernini,The Goat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun is the only one that is approximately dateable. In 1615, a carpenter was paid for providing a wooden pedestal for the sculpture group.[3] Some writers date the work as early as 1609, based on stylistic grounds and an interpretation of the 1615 pedestal invoice indicating that the base was a replacement.[1][3]
The sculpture showsAmalthea as a goat, the infant godJupiter, and an infantFaun.
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Media related toGoat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun by Bernini at Wikimedia Commons