The theme and figurative solution of this composition were suggested to Soudbinine by one of the best ballets from the "Russian Seasons" – "The Afternoon of a Faun" to the music of Claude Debussy, staged in 1912.
This work – the image of the ancient deity of forests and fields Faun - is deeper than the trivial Neoclassical stylization. The mythological character, half-man, half-animal is shown through the prism of a psychological portrait. Human features and animal forms, sharp facial expressions and gestures, relaxed and whimsical pose – all convey not thought and feeling, but emotion and sensation, brilliantly embodying the image of this misanthropic creature that is difficult to "portrait".

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