Pan met drinkbeker en Bacchus als kind met druiventros

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

**Pan with Drinking Cup and Bacchus as Child with Bunch of Grapes** Created by the masterful Italian engraver Marcantonio Raimondi around 1515–1516, this intimate engraving (128 × 96 mm) captures whimsical mythological scene from classical antiquity. Pan, the rustic god of shepherds and the wild, holds a drinking cup, while the infantchus—Roman counterpart to Dionysus, god of wine—clutches a bunch of grapes. Such playful depictions of deities humanized the divine, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with Greco-Roman myths as symbols of nature's abundance and revelry. Raimondi's work exemplifies the High Renaissance mastery of engraving, a technique he perfected to reproduce paintings and drawings by artists like Raphael with astonishing fidelity. His fine, precise lines create subtle tones and depth on the small metal plate, making high art accessible through affordable prints. Widely circulated, these engravings democratized Renaissance ideals, influencing artists across Europe. Adorned with a collector's mark (Lugt 240), this piece boasts distinguished provenance, linking it to esteemed connoisseurs. It invites visitors to ponder how tiny prints like this bridged antiquity and modernity, sparking imagination in Renaissance homes and workshops alike.

About the Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi · 1475–1534

Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...