The Flemish artist Rubens is a baroque master. His canvases are identified by many art lovers with this style. Cheerful bright images that have a huge amount of detail. They glorify life in all its manifestations. The artist was especially good at depicting the heroes of myths of ancient Greece. Rubens's painting “Bacchus” is proof of this.
Who is Bacchus?
He is the god of winemaking, and he has a few more names - Dionysus, Bacchus. He is also the master of the life force, everything that grows and develops. He always appears in the company of lovers who are not prone to shame. Beside him a stream of wine flows, everyone celebrates and forgets about the troubles. He is glad to everyone who wants to have fun, to be forgotten.
Description of the picture
Bacchus Rubens is a fat man who sits on a barrel of strong and sweet wine. His head is crowned with a wreath made of vines and bunches of grapes. He raises a goblet with an alcoholic drink. The face of God is flabby and wrinkled from a not quite righteous way of life. Fatigue reads in his gaze. He is close to going to the bedchamber.
The rest of the people on Rubens's painting Bacchus also drink. Nearby is a man who pours wine directly from a jug into his mouth. One lady, not ashamed, opened her chest, and at the same time pours wine to God.
Rubens' painting “Bacchus” also depicts children. This is the strangest thing a person with a normal upbringing can see. One kid drinks wine directly from the bowl of Bacchus. The second empty the bladder, apparently in order to get rid of the already drunk.
Under the foot of God, a huge cat imposingly landed. She allowed herself to fall on her side and lazily rubs against her master.
The painting by Peter Paul Rubens “Bacchus” tells of the rejection of any moral prohibitions. The God of wine calls to relax to such an extent that for a while forget about everything, become drunk, a little crazy, lost their minds from happiness.
Bacchanalia
In the name of Bacchus, the word “bacchanalia” came - that is, revelry, drunkenness, orgies, often accompanied by scenes of sexual violence. Such events were the norm for Ancient Rome. In modern speech, people often use this word, not really understanding what exactly it means.
Bacchanalia is a ritual performed as a sign of service to the god Bacchus. It came to Ancient Rome from the East, where holidays of this type were arranged after the grape harvest. At first, only women participated in such events. They gathered on a dark night in an olive grove on the very outskirts of the city, away from prying eyes. The ladies drank, and by taking large doses of alcohol brought themselves to a state of trance, religious frenzy, and hysteria. The participants in this holiday did not know the measure, often it ended with injuries or even murders.
Everything became much worse when a strong sex joined such festivities. Events began to be held much more often, no one looked back at the dates in the calendar. Men and women on a drunken sabbath engaged in explicit debauchery. Orgies were commonplace.
Prohibition of the Roman Senate
In addition, political gatherings began to weave at such gatherings. This caused the intervention of the Roman Senate. He issued a series of decrees that forbade such "fun." Participants began to be persecuted and punished, however, it was very difficult to fight with orgy, and the process went on for a very long time.
The theme of the bacchanalia made a strong impression on entire generations of painters. Rubens became the founder of the theme for paintings that were in demand by aristocrats. Many of them admired the scenes and sighed enviously, looking at this holiday of unbridledness and rejection of any moral prohibitions.
Where is the canvas today?
Now the painting "Bacchus" can be seen at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. According to Rubens's nephew, the canvas was not written to order, and until the last days of the author was stored in his workshop. Despite some indecency, which is depicted on the canvas, the picture amazes with its warm colors, lightness and mobility of images.