Bacchus and Pentheus Engraving from Ovid Metamorphoses 1619

Description

Bacchus and Pentheus engraving comes from a 1619 printing of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The scene combines a lively procession, musical instruments and a confrontation between the god of wine and the crowned figure of Pentheus.

On the left, Bacchus sits astride a barrel carried by attendants. Crowned with foliage, he raises a drinking cup above the procession. Figures surround him with leafy staffs and musical instruments, creating a densely arranged scene filled with movement.

Pentheus stands on the right wearing a crown and a long mantle. His gesture faces the approaching procession. Hills, towers and fortified buildings extend across the background, providing a detailed setting for the mythological encounter.

The engraved captions beneath the image identify the two principal figures as “Bacchus” and “Penthée”. The upper margin retains the French heading “des Métamorphoses d’Ovide” and page number 89. A small engraved signature at the lower left reads “Mathieu f.”

The reverse is printed with French text on page 90 under the heading “Le troisième Livre”. It describes Bacchus arriving in Thebes and Pentheus reproaching the people who celebrate him. The illustrated front and printed reverse therefore preserve both the image and part of its accompanying literary context.

Fine lines and cross-hatching define the figures, drapery, barrel and distant architecture. The compact format allows the narrative to unfold through clearly differentiated groups, with Bacchus elevated above his followers and Pentheus standing opposite them.

Details

• Printing date: 1619.

• Period: seventeenth century.

• Subject: Bacchus and Pentheus.

• Work: Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

• Technique: intaglio engraving.

• Printed in black ink on paper.

• Sheet dimensions: 16.2 × 14.7 cm.

• Engraved image dimensions: 13.8 × 11.4 cm.

• French text on the reverse.

Condition

The paper is age-toned with scattered small spots and minor edge irregularities. Margins are narrow. Some reverse text shows faintly through the paper, and the lowest line of text on the reverse is cropped at the bottom edge. The engraved composition remains clearly readable.

Please examine both photographs for the paper tone, margins and surface condition. This Bacchus and Pentheus engraving offers interest for collectors of classical mythology, wine imagery and early illustrated editions of Ovid.