Silenus
1628
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian: ; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
See the richer artist page1628
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Silenus is a 1628 by Jusepe de Ribera, a Baroque work, depicting Satyr, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A drunk old man sprawls on the ground, cup raised, while a satyr pours wine into it. Two babies copy him, a donkey brays, and a goat-legged man plays pipes. Grapevines crown the old man’s head. This is Silenus, the tutor of Bacchus, the wine god. Ribera made it funny on purpose—wobbly legs, crossed eyes, and a donkey that looks like it’s laughing. The scene feels like a rowdy party where everyone’s had too much. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how Ribera used deep shadows and bright light to make the figures pop.
Before a large wine barrel, Silenus (Bacchus’s teacher) lies inebriated on the ground as he raises his cup to receive wine from a satyr in this print. Jusepe de Ribera included these and other details indicating that the scene was intended to be humorous. Two infants mimic Silenus, and a braying donkey adds to the chaotic setting. Pan, patron of shepherds, with his pipe and staff at his feet, crowns Silenus with grapevines. A satyr and a maenad, at upper left, contribute music as well as sexual innuendo (implied by the placement of the satyr’s flute). Ribera drew inspiration from Andrea…
Corpulent bodies were often used in early modern art to symbolize laziness, overindulgence, and moral corruption.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian: ; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
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