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Young Faun with Heron

Founder Cast by E. Gruet French
1889–90, cast 1890
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 768
MacMonnies produced a large bronze "Young Faun with Heron" for Naumkeag, a house in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, designed by Stanford White for Ambassador and Mrs. Joseph H. Choate. The ancient pagan motif of a child wrestling with a bird is recapitulated in this dynamic reduction. The taunting faun, identified as such only by its wreath of leaves, firmly grasps the heron’s neck and restrains one of its legs. The bird protests by clenching its talons and opening its beak, perhaps to emit a cry. Its richly textured feathers contrast with the faun’s lithe form and supple flesh.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Young Faun with Heron
  • Artist: Frederick William MacMonnies (American, New York 1863–1937 New York)
  • Founder: Cast by E. Gruet
  • Date: 1889–90, cast 1890
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 27 1/4 x 15 x 9 1/4 in. (69.2 x 38.1 x 23.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1927
  • Object Number: 27.21.8
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

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Young Faun with Heron, Frederick William MacMonnies American, Bronze, American
Young Faun with Heron
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Niagara, Frederick William MacMonnies American, Bronze and silver, American
Niagara
Frederick William MacMonnies
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The Cobbler, Frederick William MacMonnies American, Charcoal on off-white laid paper, American
The Cobbler
Frederick William MacMonnies
1885
Self-portrait, Frederick William MacMonnies American, Oil on canvas, American
Self-portrait
Frederick William MacMonnies
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Diana, Frederick William MacMonnies American, Bronze, American
Diana
Frederick William MacMonnies
E. Gruet
1888–89; cast 1890

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