After Peter Paul Rubens, Drunkeness of Bacchus

Artist: After Peter Paul Rubens
(Flemish, Siegen 1577-1640 Antwerp)
Artist: Jonas Suyderhoef
(Dutch, Haarlem ca. 1613–1686 Haarlem)
Title: Drunkeness of Bacchus
Medium: Engraving and etching.
First state of four (Hollstein)
Condition: This work is in good condition. Previous conservation to the sheet, repair to tear upper middle. A clean image with a strong impression trimmed close to the margins. It is glazed with anti-reflective invisible glass "ArtGlass AR70" which has a UV block of 70% visible light transmission of 99% and a reflection of 1%.
Notes: Verso to image on conservation sheet, hand annotations of artists and publisher. This is a repeat of the inscription that was directly written to the verso of the print, this being visible under UV light. Unidentified watermark.
Provenance: Private Collection London

About: After the painting by Rubens titled Drunken Bacchus with Faun and Satyr, held in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Accession No. 79.164. Note: This work is attributed as a follower within their inventory.

Dionysus, also spelled Dionysos, also called Bacchus or (in Rome) Liber Pater, in Greco-Roman religion, is a nature god of fruitfulness and vegetation, especially known as a god of wine and ecstasy. The occurrence of his name in the 13th century BC shows that he was already worshipped in the Mycenaean period, although it is not known where his cult originated. In all the legends of his cult, he is depicted as having foreign origins. This is a common subject of artistic inspiration throughout the 17th century.