Silenus as an Atlas Figure
Unknown · Second century AD (?)
A stocky, hairy, bearded old man stands naked with one hand on his hip, his back set against a pillar, as if holding up a roof. He is Silenus, the drunken tutor of the wine god Bacchus, used here as an atlas figure, one of four in this hall that once served as architectural supports. The shaggy chest and belly and the genitals bound in the ancient practice of infibulation, a sign of restraint imposed on a creature famous for having none, are typical of the type. Only the torso and a few fingertips are ancient in this example, together with a tiny strip of the pillar between the shoulders; the marble is heavily cracked and stained ochre by centuries in the ground.
The head, the arms and the right leg from the knee were remade by restorers so that the figure could stand with its companions. The four were seized in Rome in 1803 during the Napoleonic transfers and have stood together at the Louvre ever since, now in the former riding hall of the palace. They date from the second century and come from a building whose porch or courtyard they once supported.
Did You Know? Of this figure only the torso and a few fingertips are ancient; a restorer gave him back his head and limbs.
Unlock the Full Guide
Read every room and listen to every work in all museums with premium.