Dancing Faun
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1905-24-1
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
John Trumbull's *Dancing Faun* (1784) is a delicate drawing that captures the artist's early fascination with classical antiquity. Born in 1756, Trumbull was a pivotal figure in American art, transitioning from Revolutionary War service to becoming a renowned neoclassical painter. By 1784, he had traveled to London to study under Benjamin West, immersing himself in European traditions. This work, housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, reflects his rigorous training through precise line work typical of preparatory sketches. The subject—a lively faun, the mythological half-human, half-g...