Marsyas

Balthasar Permoser German

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 548

Flayed alive after losing a musical contest to the god Apollo, the satyr Marsyas screams in the midst of his torture. Every aspect of the figure, from squinting eyes to torn tongue and flamelike hair, contributes to this image of torment. Early in his career, the sculptor Permoser worked in Florence, where this bust likely was carved. It is his personal response to Gianlorenzo Bernini's dramatic style, especially the Damned Soul of about 1619 (Palazzo di Spagna, Rome). While important sculptures by Pietro and Gianlorenzo Bernini are represented in the Museum's collection, Marsyas is our first work by Permoser, who helped to transmit the Italian Baroque style to Germany when he returned to his native Dresden.

#89. Body Language: Educator and Curator: Marsyas

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Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence

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Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence
Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser (German, Kammer, near Otting, Chiemgau, Bavaria 1651–1732 Dresden), Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence

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