Bacchanale - Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr
Medium
Etching, second state
Dimensions
image: 5 9/16 x 8 3/16 in. (14.1 x 20.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Jacob H. Schiff Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.58.13
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean Honoré Fragonard’s *Bacchanale – Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr* captures the playful spirit of classical mythology through a lively gathering of nymphs and sat. A leading figure of the French Rococo, Fragonard often explored themes of love, nature, and sensual delight in his work. Here, the intimate scene of a satyr and nymph tending to two infants evokes the carefree revelry associated with Bacchanalian subjects, blending tenderness with lighthearted eroticism. Created as an etching in its second state, the print demonstrates Fragonard’s mastery of the medium’s delicate line work and tonal subtlety. Etchings like this one allowed artists to reach wider audiences by reproducing compositions with fine detail in a compact format—here measuring just over five by eight inches. The small scale invites close viewing, rewarding the eye with intricate textures and expressive gestures. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1922 through the Jacob H. Schiff Fund, this work highlights the enduring appeal of mythological imagery in 18th-century French art and the important role prints played in disseminating Rococo aesthetics.
About the Artist
Jean Honoré Fragonard · 1732–1806
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. Born in Grasse, he moved to Paris where he trained under Jean-Baptiste Chardin and François Boucher, winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1752. After studying in Italy alongside Hubert Robert, Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761 to fi...