Bacchus, Music, Amor
1575–1600
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 17 3/16 x 11 9/16 in. (43.7 x 29.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.907
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created between 1575 1600 by Flemish painter Joos van Winghe and master printmaker Johann Sadeler I, brings together the Roman god Bacchus, the figure of Music, and Cupid (Amor) in a lively allegorical composition. Bacchus appears with his traditional cornucopia of abundance, while musical instruments and the winged god of love complete the scene. The work celebrates the harmonious pleasures of wine, melody, and affection—popular themes in late Renaissance art that reflected humanist interests in the senses and classical mythology. As an engraving, this print played a vital ro...