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{{Short description|Painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci}}
{{Infobox Artwork {{Infobox artwork
| bgcolour = #EEDD82
| image_file = Bacchus_(painting).jpg | image_file = Bacchus_(painting).jpg
| title = Bacchus | title = Bacchus
| artist = Workshop of ] | artist = ], Workshop of ]
| year = 1510–1515 | year = 1510–1515
| type = ] ] | type = ] ]
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}} }}


]
⚫ '''''Bacchus''''', formerly '']'', is a painting in the ], ], ], based on a drawing by the ] artist ]. It is presumed to have been executed by an unknown follower, perhaps in Leonardo's workshop. ] assigns the drawing to Leonardo's second Milan period.<ref>S.J. Freedberg, "A Recovered Work of Andrea del Sarto with Some Notes on a Leonardesque Connection" ''The Burlington Magazine'' '''124''' No. 950 (May 1982:266, 281-288) p 285; the badly smudged and damaged red chalk drawing, conserved in the Museo del Santuario del Sacro Monte, Varese, is illustrated p.284, fig. 27.</ref> Among the Lombard painters who have been suggested as possible authors are ],<ref>Cesare is most often credited with the best of three copies of this work in its original formulation, on loan to the ].</ref> Marco d'Oggiono, ],<ref>Freedberg 1982:285</ref> and ]. The painting shows a male figure with garlanded head and leopard skin, seated in an idyllic landscape. He points with his right hand off to his left, and with his left hand grasps his thyrsus and also points down to earth.


⚫ '''''Bacchus''''', originally '''''Saint John the Baptist''''', is a painting in the ], ], ], by the ] artist ] and ], while in Leonardo's workshop. ] assigns the drawing to Leonardo's second Milan period.<ref>S.J. Freedberg, "A Recovered Work of Andrea del Sarto with Some Notes on a Leonardesque Connection" ''The Burlington Magazine'' '''124''' No. 950 (May 1982:266, 281–288) p.&nbsp;285; the badly smudged and damaged red chalk drawing, conserved in the Museo del Santuario del Sacro Monte, Varese, is illustrated p.284, fig. 27.</ref> Among the Lombard painters who have been suggested as possible authors are ],{{efn|Cesare is most often credited with the best of three copies of this work in its original formulation, on loan to the ].}} ], ],<ref>Freedberg 1982, p. 285</ref> and ]. The painting shows a male figure with garlanded head and leopard skin, seated in an idyllic landscape. He points with his right hand off to his left, and with his left hand grasps his ] and also points down to earth.
⚫ The painting originally depicted ]. In the late 17th century, between the years 1683 and 1693, it was overpainted and altered, to serve as '']''.<ref>It was inventoried in 1683 at ''Saint Jean dans le désert'' at Fontainebleau and in 1693 at ] as ''Bacchus'', with a marginal note that it had formerly been previously inventoried as ''Saint John''. (Freedberg 1982:285, note 16).</ref>


⚫ The painting originally depicted ]. In the late 17th century, between the years 1683 and 1693, it was overpainted and altered to serve as '']''.{{efn|It was inventoried in 1683 at ''Saint Jean dans le désert'' at Fontainebleau and in 1693 at ] as ''Bacchus'', with a marginal note that it had been previously inventoried as ''Saint John''. (Freedberg 1982:285, note 16).}}
⚫ ] remarked of the painting in its former state, which he saw at ] in 1625, that it had neither devotion, decorum nor similitude,<ref>Noted by A. Ottino della Chiesa, ''Leonardo Pittore'' (Milan) 1967:109, from a document in the ].</ref> the suavely beautiful, youthful and slightly androgynous ''Giovannino'' was so at variance with artistic conventions in portraying the Baptist &ndash; neither the older ascetic prophet nor the Florentine baby ''Giovannino'', but a type of Leonardo's invention, of a disconcerting, somewhat ambiguous sensuality, familiar in Leonardo's half-length and upward-pointing '']'', also in the Louvre.<ref>See Marilyn Aronberg Lavin, "Giovannino Battista: A Study in Renaissance Religious Symbolism" ''The Art Bulletin'' '''37'''.2. (June 1955:85-101).</ref>


The model for the ''John the Baptist / '''Bacchus''' / ]'' series was ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pedretti |first=Carlo |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/500794484 |title=Leonardo da Vinci : l'Angelo incarnato & Salai = the Angel in the flesh & Salai |date=2009 |publisher=Cartei & Bianchi |others=Margherita Melani, Daniel Arasse, da Vinci Leonardo |isbn=978-88-95686-11-0 |location=Foligno (Perugia) |pages=201 |oclc=500794484}}</ref>
⚫ The overpainting transformed the image of St. John into one of a pagan deity, by converting the long-handled cross-like staff of the Baptist to a Bacchic ] and adding a vine wreath. The fur robe is the legacy of John the Baptist, but has been overpainted with leopard-spots relating, like the wreath, to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and intoxication.


⚫ ] remarked of the painting in its former state, which he saw at ] in 1625, that it had neither devotion, decorum nor similitude,<ref>Noted by A. Ottino della Chiesa, ''Leonardo Pittore'' (Milan) 1967:109, from a document in the ].</ref> the suavely beautiful, youthful and slightly androgynous ''Giovannino'' was so at variance with artistic conventions in portraying the Baptist &ndash; neither the older ascetic prophet nor the Florentine baby ''Giovannino'', but a type of Leonardo's invention, of a disconcerting, somewhat ambiguous sensuality, familiar in Leonardo's half-length and upward-pointing '']'', also in the Louvre.<ref>See Marilyn Aronberg Lavin, "Giovannino Battista: A Study in Renaissance Religious Symbolism" ''The Art Bulletin'' '''37'''.2. (June 1955:85-101).</ref>
⚫ ==Copies==
⚫ Few copies done by ] artists are known. One of them is attributed to ] (panel, 24 x 24 cm) and is held at ], Edinburgh. It depicts St John the Baptist in Wilderness, however, the saint is placed to a background of grotto with some sight of high rocks, a river, riders and a hanged man. Another copy of 15 - 16 th century is held at Musee Ingres, Montauban. Another copy, attributed to follower of ] has been sold in Christies auction in 2008-04-23.


⚫ The overpainting transformed the image of St. John into one of a pagan deity, by converting the long-handled cross-like staff of the Baptist to a Bacchic thyrsus and adding a vine wreath. The fur robe is the legacy of John the Baptist, but has been overpainted with leopard-spots relating, like the wreath, to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and intoxication.
==Notes==

⚫ {{reflist|2}}
⚫ ==Copies==
⚫ Few copies done by ] artists are known. One of them is attributed to ] (panel, 24 x 24&nbsp;cm) and is held at the ], Edinburgh. It depicts St John the Baptist in Wilderness. However, the saint is placed to a background of grotto with some sight of high rocks, a river, riders and a hanged man. Another copy of 15th-16th centuries is held at Musee Ingres, Montauban. Another copy, attributed to follower of ] was sold in auction at ] on 23 April 2008.


==References== ==References==
===Footnotes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
⚫ {{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Musée du Louvre, ''Hommage à Léonard de Vinci'' 1952:34ff. *Musée du Louvre, ''Hommage à Léonard de Vinci'' 1952:34ff.


{{Leonardo da Vinci}} {{Leonardo da Vinci}}

{{authority control}}


] ]
] ]
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] ]

Latest revision as of 21:07, 1 August 2024

Painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
Bacchus
ArtistFrancesco Melzi, Workshop of Leonardo da Vinci
Year1510–1515
TypeOil on walnut panel transferred to canvas
Dimensions177 cm × 115 cm (70 in × 45 in)
LocationLouvre, Paris
Bacchus is seen here after recent restoration work. Colors closer to original and details are better visible again.

Bacchus, originally Saint John the Baptist, is a painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci and Francesco Melzi, while in Leonardo's workshop. Sydney J. Freedberg assigns the drawing to Leonardo's second Milan period. Among the Lombard painters who have been suggested as possible authors are Cesare da Sesto, Marco d'Oggiono, Francesco Melzi, and Cesare Bernazzano. The painting shows a male figure with garlanded head and leopard skin, seated in an idyllic landscape. He points with his right hand off to his left, and with his left hand grasps his thyrsus and also points down to earth.

The painting originally depicted John the Baptist. In the late 17th century, between the years 1683 and 1693, it was overpainted and altered to serve as Bacchus.

The model for the John the Baptist / Bacchus / Angelo incarnato series was Salaì.

Cassiano dal Pozzo remarked of the painting in its former state, which he saw at Fontainebleau in 1625, that it had neither devotion, decorum nor similitude, the suavely beautiful, youthful and slightly androgynous Giovannino was so at variance with artistic conventions in portraying the Baptist – neither the older ascetic prophet nor the Florentine baby Giovannino, but a type of Leonardo's invention, of a disconcerting, somewhat ambiguous sensuality, familiar in Leonardo's half-length and upward-pointing Saint John the Baptist, also in the Louvre.

The overpainting transformed the image of St. John into one of a pagan deity, by converting the long-handled cross-like staff of the Baptist to a Bacchic thyrsus and adding a vine wreath. The fur robe is the legacy of John the Baptist, but has been overpainted with leopard-spots relating, like the wreath, to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and intoxication.

Copies

Few copies done by Leonardeschi artists are known. One of them is attributed to Bernardino Lanino (panel, 24 x 24 cm) and is held at the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh. It depicts St John the Baptist in Wilderness. However, the saint is placed to a background of grotto with some sight of high rocks, a river, riders and a hanged man. Another copy of 15th-16th centuries is held at Musee Ingres, Montauban. Another copy, attributed to follower of Cesare da Sesto was sold in auction at Christie's on 23 April 2008.

References

Footnotes

  1. Cesare is most often credited with the best of three copies of this work in its original formulation, on loan to the National Gallery of Scotland.
  2. It was inventoried in 1683 at Saint Jean dans le désert at Fontainebleau and in 1693 at Meudon as Bacchus, with a marginal note that it had been previously inventoried as Saint John. (Freedberg 1982:285, note 16).

Citations

  1. S.J. Freedberg, "A Recovered Work of Andrea del Sarto with Some Notes on a Leonardesque Connection" The Burlington Magazine 124 No. 950 (May 1982:266, 281–288) p. 285; the badly smudged and damaged red chalk drawing, conserved in the Museo del Santuario del Sacro Monte, Varese, is illustrated p.284, fig. 27.
  2. Freedberg 1982, p. 285
  3. Pedretti, Carlo (2009). Leonardo da Vinci : l'Angelo incarnato & Salai = the Angel in the flesh & Salai. Margherita Melani, Daniel Arasse, da Vinci Leonardo. Foligno (Perugia): Cartei & Bianchi. p. 201. ISBN 978-88-95686-11-0. OCLC 500794484.
  4. Noted by A. Ottino della Chiesa, Leonardo Pittore (Milan) 1967:109, from a document in the Vatican Library.
  5. See Marilyn Aronberg Lavin, "Giovannino Battista: A Study in Renaissance Religious Symbolism" The Art Bulletin 37.2. (June 1955:85-101).

Further reading

  • Musée du Louvre, Hommage à Léonard de Vinci 1952:34ff.
Leonardo da Vinci
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