Centaur Abducting a Nymph
c. 1650
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H.: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.); Base: 17.2 × 10.2 cm (6 3/4 × 4 in.)
Classification
statuette
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
29398
Art Historical Context
Francesco Fanelli’s *Centaur Abducting a Nymph* captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology in a compact bronze statuette just over eight inches tall. Created around 1650, the work reflects the Baroque period’s taste for dynamic movement and emotional intensity, even on a small scale. The artist, an Italian sculptor active in England, specialized in such intimate bronzes, which were prized by collectors for their fine detail and portability. Bronze was an ideal medium for this subject, allowing Fanelli to model the twisting struggle between the powerful centaur and the nymph with flui...