He was triumphantly holding the bunch of grapes he found up for all to see. The porphyry marble perfectly mimicked the color of red grapes at the height of the picking season. The youthful faun assumed the stereotypical pose of heroic nudity, both his arms pushing out against the world with his head looking up at his prize; there was only a small cape draped around his shoulders, showing off his tail at the small of his back, and a curved walking stick in his other hand. It’s fair to say he earned his pridefulness though. He had been searching for the perfect bunch for a while. With the other bunches of grapes draped across his left arm he finally had enough to take back and make a new batch of wine. Maybe that’s why he looked so excited by his find. The basket to put them in was even placed nicely next to his feet, the lid slightly ajar already loaded with grapes, ready to be filled the rest of the way up and to be taken away. Next to him a stump sat where he had hung his pan flute up for safe keeping while he went on his search. He had to make sure not to forget it. The only thing to spoil his moment of triumph was a goat that had been following him around for the last hour hoping for food. As soon as the faun found the last bunch of grapes he needed, the goat started bleating in annoyance at not getting a snack. The faun, however, was determined not to give in to the goat, for wine was much more important.
(Statue of a Faun, Capitoline Museum 5/26/19)
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