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Sculpture - The infancy of Bacchus of the first century in the Lateran Museum, a Nymph gives him drink

John Henry Parker

1867

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Sculpture - The infancy of Bacchus of the first century in the Lateran Museum, a Nymph gives him drink is a 1867 photographic by John Henry Parker, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Henry Parker
When & what style?: 1867 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This photo shows a carved stone relief. A woman in flowing robes stands beside a tree, holding a child who reaches for a bunch of grapes. Nearby, a goat and a dog are carved into the rock, and a basket sits on the ground. The artist took this photo of an ancient Roman sculpture in 1864. The original work shows Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, as a baby. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more of their collection.

The story of this work

Overview

A relief sculpture depicts a nymph offering a drink to the infant Bacchus, photographed in the Lateran Museum in Rome. The work is part of a documented series of over 3,300 photographs of Roman monuments and artifacts created between 1864 and 1879 under John Henry Parker’s direction. The images were produced by Parker’s team of photographers, including local and international contributors, and many were later published in his multi-volume *Archaeology of Rome*. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds a significant portion of the photographs taken before 1870.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

John Henry Parker

John Henry Parker liked to explore old churches in Rome. He'd photograph the sculptures and carvings he found. One thing that stands out is his attention to detail - he'd capture tiny parts of bigger pieces, like the…

See the richer artist page