1763
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Bacchanales: The Satyr's Family is a 1763 by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows playful nymphs and satyrs tangled in vines and laughter. A mother satyr nurses her baby while others chase goats or nap in the shade. No god appears—just their daily, silly lives. Fragonard made these four prints after studying old statues in Italy. He skipped the usual wild parties and focused on quiet family moments instead. See how the light plays on their skin? It feels warm and alive. Next, check out Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806).
Jean-Honoré Fragonard made these four etchings shortly after returning to Paris from Italy, where he studied antique subjects and sculpture. He may have also looked at other sources for inspiration, such as Jacques François Joseph Saly’s suite of vase designs. Though the prints feature the followers of Bacchus, the wine god does not make an appearance. Instead, Fragonard highlighted the playfully erotic frolics, conflicts, and even family life of a group of bacchants, conceiving them as low-relief sculptures on stone fragments within abundant foliage. Fragonard’s creations helped to…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on 5 April 1732 in Grasse, the son of a glover, and moved with his family to Paris in 1738.
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