Bernini's Bacchanal: A Faun Teased By Children

Expecting to have a new insight in understanding the masterpieces of art, I was really thrilled to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cool weather and no traffic condition made my steps on wings, encouraging me as if I can enjoy and interpret the great art works without getting lost which I was a few months ago. Facing the huge Doric columns of the entrance, I confidently took steps inside the museum to see Bernini’s Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children in person. On the way to find Bacchanal, I was able to pass by some of different art works and found myself that I was actually smiling—a happy smile from relating what I learned from class to the art works in the museum. Among many works, there was a sculpture that especially caught my eyes because of its familiar style. It was Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children. Although Bacchanal can be seen as a little imperfect compared to his later works because it was finished when Bernini was 18, I was able to clearly see his idea of emulation and his own distinct signature style which is elegant, refined, and exquisite. Needless to say without doubt, he is one of the greatest artists …show more content…
Comparing two sculptures, we can easily detect that there is a difference in the use of strut in the sculpture. In the Bacchus, Michelangelo merely used strut to structurally support the marble of free standing figure. However, Bernini, in the Bacchus, not only created a strut to support the structure of the sculpture, but also used strut as a part of narrative (emulation of strut). Thus, from the comparison of Michelangelo’s Bacchus and Bernini’s Bacchanal, we are able to know that Bernini’s stylistic development was influenced by Renaissance style—emulating by surpassing the original and establishing own signature