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Bacchus with Diana and Minerva

Pierre Brebiette

1624

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque Mythology Putti

Dominant colour

Bacchus with Diana and Minerva is a 1624 ink by Pierre Brebiette, a Renaissance work, depicting Putti, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Pierre Brebiette
When & what style?: 1624 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This etching shows three mythological figures: Bacchus, the god of wine; Diana, the moon goddess; and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. They stand in a rocky landscape, Bacchus holding grapes, Diana with a crescent moon on her head, and Minerva in armor with a spear. Brebiette used etching to carve lines into a metal plate, then inked it to print this scene. The technique lets him create fine details and soft shadows. You can spot the fine lines in the figures' clothes and the rocky ground. Look up etching to see how it compares to drypoint.