Bacchanal with Silenus
1490
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1490
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This engraving shows a wild party scene with drunken figures, satyrs and Silenus in a rocky landscape. The lines are sharp and deep, so shadows look bold and figures pop off the page. It feels like a carving more than a flat print. Andrea Mantegna paid Da Brescia to redo his worn engraving plates. The new ink and fresh lines give this version clearer shapes and stronger contrasts. Look at how the figures twist and bunch together. Then check out Giovanni Antonio da Brescia’s engravings at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
