A nude female figure becomes a spiraling corkscrew in this dynamic sculpture by Frederick MacMonnies. With a skip to her step, and a wide smile, this young woman dangles a bunch of grapes over her head, as the small child in her arms looks up with evident delight.

Consider for a moment the sculptor’s choice of bronze for this figure. Bronze is the ideal medium to capture animated poses and twisting forms—in contrast to the stoic expressions and timeless poses often struck in marble. The title of the work is Bacchante and Infant Faun. Bacchante refers to the followers of Bacchus, the ancient god of wine—symbolized here by the cluster of grapes.

MacMonnies modeled this sculpture in the 1890s as a gift to architect Charles Follen McKim, of the great architectural firm, McKim, Mead, and White. The firm was designing the Boston Public Library, and McKim thought the bronze would provide an appealing centerpiece to the library’s outdoor courtyard. Little did either man anticipate what a backlash this idea would instigate. If you’d like to hear about how this sculpture became the biggest art controversy of the decade, press the green play button.