"Damned Soul" terracotta bust by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

"Damned Soul" early 19th-century terracotta bust, a follower of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). The sculpture depicts a young man oppressed by torment, looking down as if he were observing, and simultaneously feeling, the horrors of hell. The subject's extremely detailed expression, with wide-open eyes, arched eyebrows, and gaping mouth, undoubtedly denote strong horror on the face of the "satyr," but also some surprise. Such an incisive and violent expression had never been experienced in the art world before Bernini's attempt. This work is contrasted with another bust, that of the "Blessed Soul": the two sculptures together, in fact, exemplify the souls condemned to eternal damnation and the saved souls of the blessed. Recent studies, however, have speculated that this is not the depiction of a Christian subject, but that of a satyr. Bernini's "Anima Dannata" sculpture, according to multiple studies, was made in 1619 and is now kept inside the Spanish Palace in Rome. H cm.49 - prof.20 cm. - L 29 cm.