Satyr Carrying a Nymph on His Back

1769/71

Salomon Gessner

Associated Names
Salomon Gessner

Artist, Swiss, 1730 - 1788

This is a drawing of three figures in a forest setting. The central figure carries another figure on its back, while a third figure holds a musical instrument. The scene is amidst water and lush foliage, with detailed shading and patterns on the leaves. The use of line work and stippling creates texture, giving depth to the scene.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 11.8 x 14.4 cm (4 5/8 x 5 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 27.5 x 38.2 cm (10 13/16 x 15 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1999.100.5

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Leemann-Van Elck 1930, no. 23

  • Series Title

    Idyllic Landscapes with Mythological Figures, plate 1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Christopher Mendez, London); purchased 1999 by NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1930

  • Leemann-Van Elck, Paul. Salomon Gessner: Dichter, Maler und Radierer, 1730-1788. Zurich, 1930.

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: S. Gessner inv. et f.; lower right in plate: 1.; by later hand, upper right in graphite: (27/10p)

Wikidata ID

Q75429098

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