Orpheus Charming the Animals
by FRANCAVILLA, Pietro, Marble, height 250 cm
This marble statue was made in Florence in 1598 and placed in J�r�me de Gondi’s garden in Paris, accompanied by bronze figures of animals. It was later installed in the gardens at Versailles.
Orpheus charms the animals with the sound of his lyre, with Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to the underworld, at his side.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 7 minutes):
Cristoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo, Act I, Orpheus’ aria in G Major