Royal Copenhagen
Denmark
1910-1940
Porcelain
11 1/2″ high x 9″ wide x 8″ deep

Gerhard Henning was a Swedish-Danish sculptor known for his attention to the female form. He was inspired by the work of 18th century French artists such as Fragonard, with its delicate groupings of figures and playful eroticism. He was also an avid reader of Classical poetry. Ovid’s Metamorphoses were particularly rich ore for him to mine.

Between 1909 and 1925 he designed figurines for the Danish porcelain factory Royal Copenhagen, including this sexy Nymph and Satyr which was in production until about 1950. There have been several variations since its creation in 1910. The other castings we have seen of the Nymph and Satyr are usually white, or overglazed in glossy pastels. This is the only example we have seen with the rusticated surface that gives the figures such an earthy appeal, as if we had caught them fresh from a tumble in the forest.

There is an iteration of this couple in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.