Satyr and Satyress Seated on a Pedestal Supporting a Vase.
1652-1725
Giovanni Battista Foggini, a favorite sculptor of the Medici family in Florence, sketched this dynamic duo—a muscular satyr and a satyress—straining to hold up a massive, ornate vase. Their bodies twist and merge into swirling, leafy scrollwork at the base, suggesting this was a preliminary design for a grand fountain or garden pedestal where water would cascade from above. The sketch reveals the artist's energetic hand, using quick strokes to map out the tension in the figures' muscles, capturing the theatrical drama of the Baroque style before any stone was ever carved.
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