Marble statues of Pan, signed by M. Cossutius Cerdo
Roman, about 45-25 BC
From a villa at Monte Cagnolo, near Rome, Italy
Made by a Roman citizen of Greek origin?
The two statues, one in Proconnesian marble from the Aegean, the
other in Italian Carrara marble, form a matching pair showing a
youthful Pan, his horns just beginning to sprout. Pan, a deity
associated not only with the countryside, but also with sexuality
and fertility, holds a juglet and cup, emphasizing his links with
Bacchus, god of wine. On the tree stump of both statues, the name
of the artist Marcus Cossutius Cerdo is inscribed in Greek
characters. Sir Charles Townley bought the statues in 1774 for £100
each.
The style of the sculptures suggests they were made by Cerdo in
the later first century BC, at a time when large numbers of foreign
artisans were coming to Italy to satisfy the enormous demand for
all types of works of art. Cerdo's signature suggests he was of
Greek origin, yet interestingly he has the three names (tria
nomina) which denote a Roman citizen. He was, perhaps, a
freedman (libertus), an ex-slave who bought or earned his
freedom from his owner.
B.F. Cook, The Townley Marbles (London, The British Museum Press, 1985)
S. Walker, Roman art (London, 1991)