The Triumph of Bacchus
Encyclopedia
The Triumph of Bacchus is a 1629 painting by Diego Velázquez
, now in the Museo del Prado
, in Madrid
. The painting shows Bacchus
surrounded by drunks. It is popularly known as Los borrachos or The Drunks.
Velázquez painted it after arriving in Madrid
from Seville
, between 1626 and 1628, just before his travel to Italy
. In Madrid, Velázquez could contemplate the king
's collection of Italian paintings and was impressed by the nudity
paintings as well by the treatment of the mythological
theme.
The work was painted to Philip IV
.
Bacchus crowning with a crown
of vine
leaves
one of the seven drunk men around him. The crowned man can be a poet
inspired by the wine
. Another semi-mythological character observes the coronation
. Some of the characters who are accompanying the coronation are looking at the spectator while smiling.
The work represents Bacchus as the god who reward or gift the men with the wine, which temporarily releases them from their problems. In the baroque literature, Bacchus was considered an allegory
of the liberation of the man from his slavery of daily life. It is possible that Velazquez made a parody
of the allegory by considering the allegory poor.
is clearer than the other ones, to be recognized more easily.
The scene can be divided in two halves. In the left, there is the very illuminated Bacchus figure, closer to the Italian style inspired by Caravaggio
. Bacchus and the character left behind him refer to the classical myth and are represented by the traditional way. It can be highlighted the idealization of the god face, the clear light
which illuminate him and a more classicist
style. The right side, however, presents some drunkards, men of streets that invite us to join their party, with a very Spanish
atmosphere, similar to José de Ribera style. There is no idealization in them, who present large and worn out faces. Neither the clear light which illuminates Bacchus is present in this side, and the figures are immersed in an evident chiaroscuro
. Furthermore, the flick is more impressionist.
In this work, Velázquez introduce a profane aspect on a mythological subject, a tendency he would cultivate more during the following years.
There are various elements that give naturalism to the work, like the bottle
and the pitcher
which appears at the ground close to the god's feet, and the realism of the god's body, playing with the brightness, Velázquez gave relief and textures to the bottle and the pitcher, creating the something like a still life
. These jars are very similar to the ones which appears in paintings made by Velázquez during his Sevillian stage.
- some say that he directly advised the painting of the work -; Caravaggio, whose sciences with portraits of Bacchus are related; and Ribera, whose portraits of very popular wise men, sometimes looking like beggars, inspired Velázquez.
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
, now in the Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
, in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. The painting shows Bacchus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
surrounded by drunks. It is popularly known as Los borrachos or The Drunks.
Velázquez painted it after arriving in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
from Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, between 1626 and 1628, just before his travel to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In Madrid, Velázquez could contemplate the king
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
's collection of Italian paintings and was impressed by the nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
paintings as well by the treatment of the mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
theme.
The work was painted to Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
.
Theme
The painting presents a scene in which appears the godGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
Bacchus crowning with a crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
of vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
one of the seven drunk men around him. The crowned man can be a poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
inspired by the wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. Another semi-mythological character observes the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
. Some of the characters who are accompanying the coronation are looking at the spectator while smiling.
The work represents Bacchus as the god who reward or gift the men with the wine, which temporarily releases them from their problems. In the baroque literature, Bacchus was considered an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of the liberation of the man from his slavery of daily life. It is possible that Velazquez made a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the allegory by considering the allegory poor.
Description
In the work, the god is represented as a person within the small celebration, but his skinSkin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
is clearer than the other ones, to be recognized more easily.
The scene can be divided in two halves. In the left, there is the very illuminated Bacchus figure, closer to the Italian style inspired by Caravaggio
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
. Bacchus and the character left behind him refer to the classical myth and are represented by the traditional way. It can be highlighted the idealization of the god face, the clear light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
which illuminate him and a more classicist
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
style. The right side, however, presents some drunkards, men of streets that invite us to join their party, with a very Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
atmosphere, similar to José de Ribera style. There is no idealization in them, who present large and worn out faces. Neither the clear light which illuminates Bacchus is present in this side, and the figures are immersed in an evident chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
. Furthermore, the flick is more impressionist.
In this work, Velázquez introduce a profane aspect on a mythological subject, a tendency he would cultivate more during the following years.
There are various elements that give naturalism to the work, like the bottle
Bottle
A bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth". By contrast, a jar has a relatively large mouth or opening. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids such as water, milk, soft...
and the pitcher
Pitcher (container)
A pitcher is a container with a spout used for storing and pouring contents which are liquid in form. Generally a pitcher also has a handle, which makes pouring easier.A ewer is a vase-shaped pitcher, often decorated, with a base and a flaring spout...
which appears at the ground close to the god's feet, and the realism of the god's body, playing with the brightness, Velázquez gave relief and textures to the bottle and the pitcher, creating the something like a still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
. These jars are very similar to the ones which appears in paintings made by Velázquez during his Sevillian stage.
Influence
Undoubtedly, it can be found the influence of RubensRubens
Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens , the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens (composer) Rubens is...
- some say that he directly advised the painting of the work -; Caravaggio, whose sciences with portraits of Bacchus are related; and Ribera, whose portraits of very popular wise men, sometimes looking like beggars, inspired Velázquez.