1864
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Drinking Customs of Society or Worship of Bacchus is a 1864 by George Cruikshank, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a crowded scene full of drunk people, fights, and sad families—all framed like a wild Roman party. Cruikshank used this old Roman festival to mock how alcohol tore apart Victorian England. The print is huge, almost like a warning poster. The tiny details show everything from happy toasts to broken homes. Look up more works about england, 19th century to see how artists tackled social problems.
Made during the Victorian era in England (1837–1901), this grandly scaled print utilizes the imagery of a Roman bacchanalia — an ancient wine-fueled festival dedicated to Bacchus—to convey a frenzy of activities related to alcohol and its role in society. Bacchus, Silenus (his teacher), and a bacchant (a follower) appear as sculptures in the center, while widows and orphans, whose husbands and fathers have succumbed to alcohol, appear below. Foreground vignettes featuring a religious service, social gathering, marriage feast, christening, birthday party, and funeral demonstrate alcohol’s…
Gin became available in England in the early 1700s. Unlike more expensive spirits, gin was popular with people of all classes, leading to a moral panic that persisted throughout the 1800s.
Read the full account in the museum source.
George Cruikshank or Cruickshank ( KRUUK-shank; 27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
