Who painted The Infant Bacchus?

The Infant Bacchus was painted by Pieter van der Werff in 1711-01-01.

Where can I see The Infant Bacchus?

The Infant Bacchus is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is The Infant Bacchus?

The Infant Bacchus is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of The Infant Bacchus?

Museum-quality prints of The Infant Bacchus are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Infant Bacchus

Pieter van der Werff , 1711

The Infant Bacchus is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter van der Werff. It dates from 1711 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a mythological painting featuring a nude figure, the subject aligns with classical traditions of representing deities in human form from a young age.

The work depicts Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and fertility, rendered as an infant. As a mythological painting featuring a nude figure, the subject aligns with classical traditions of representing deities in human form from a young age. The imagery focuses specifically on the childhood of the god, emphasizing innocence alongside the divine nature associated with Bacchus.

Created in 1711, the oil painting on panel serves as a visual interpretation of this specific moment in mythological narrative, isolating the deity's early life as the central theme without additional contextual attributes described in the available records.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1711, The Infant Bacchus is an oil painting applied on a panel support. The work measures 34.8 cm in height and 43.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a mythological composition featuring the nude figure of Bacchus as its central subject.

The handling of the oil medium on the rigid panel allows for the detailed rendering characteristic of the artist's approach to classical themes during this period.

History & Provenance

The Infant Bacchus is an oil-on-panel painting completed by Pieter van der Werff in 1711. After its creation, the work entered the collection of Adriaan van der Hoop, whose holdings later became part of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum collections, where the painting remains today.

The Infant Bacchus is held by the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum, both part of the Adriaan van der Hoop collection. Its accession number is not specified in the sources. The work has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, with exhibition records tied to its display in the museum's collection.

Overview

Created in 1711 by Dutch painter Pieter van der Werff, this oil on canvas presents a youthful incarnation of the Roman god of wine. The work belongs to the late phase of the Dutch Golden Age, a period when artists frequently turned to classical mythology for subject matter. It is currently part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection in Amsterdam.