Sleeping Nymph and Satyr

The reclining female nude was a favourite subject of Giovanni da Bologna, or Giambologna, as he was better known. Giambologna was Flemish, but spent most of his working life in Florence. Many casts of this sculpture were made, both during his lifetime and after his death. About eighteen are known today.

To meet the huge demand for his work, Giambologna created a division of labour in his workshop. Each of his pupils and assistants was responsible for completing a particular stage in the production process. Giambologna used wood or stone for most of his models, rather than wax, which is softer and more malleable. The reason was that wax melts when the mould is heated, so the original model is lost, whereas wood and stone can withstand high temperatures. The model therefore remains intact and can be re-used to produce new sculptures.

The large number of Giambologna’s sculptures in circulation makes it is difficult to identify those he actually cast himself, but the high quality of this satyr stealing up on a nymph points to the hand of the master or a member of his studio working under his direct supervision.