Dionysus on a panther

Dionysus on a panther The marble sculptural group depicts Dionysus seated on the back of a panther. It is not a unified work. The group was assembled in the 18th century from various antique elements from the 2nd century: the panther and Dionysus' figure glued from the head from a satyr's statue and a child's torso from another sculpture. Besides, the child's legs were completed, leather was added to the torso of the panther, a stand supported it, and the sculpture was placed on a modern base. Combining these various ancient and new elements creates a monumental, decorative sculptural grouping known as the 'Dionysus on a Panther'. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, is depicted as a child with his mouth gaping in the smile, pressing with both hands on his shoulder a bunch of grapes, which is his attribute. With a slender and muscled body, the panther walks with slightly stiffened paws and its left foreleg raised. Its head is turned sharply upwards to the right, towards Dionysus. The suggestively rendered movement of the god of wine and the animal, which is his mythological companion, emphasises their mutual relationship. In ancient art, Dionysus on a panther was usually depicted in a joyful retinue of maenads and satyrs. Such scenes can be found on Roman sarcophagi, mosaics and in Greek vase painting. Princess Izabela Lubomirska (1736-1816), the owner of the Castle in Łańcut, purchased the object during her stay in Rome in 1785-1786. Earlier, it was located in the famous Villa Negroni in Rome. In the Łańcut Castle, it was placed in the Sculpture Gallery. The interior, with its painted decoration imitating a picturesque antique ruin covered with a trellis overgrown with vines, bringing garden scenery to mind, is a perfect place to exhibit this multi-coloured sculptural group intended for the garden. Barbara Trojnar