1640
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Bacchanal with Altar, Faun, and Silenus is a 1640 ink by Giovanni Andrea Podestà, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a wild, crowded scene of naked figures tangled together. In the center, a group of chubby, childlike cherubs cluster around a small altar, while a bearded man with horns—likely a faun—plays a flute. Above them, a winged figure floats, holding a staff with a serpent coiled around it. The background has a draped cloth with strange symbols and a tree with twisting branches. The artist packed the image with movement, using swirling lines to make it feel chaotic. The tiny cherubs seem to be worshipping or celebrating, while the faun’s music might be guiding the scene. If you like this busy, dramatic style, look up Baroque.
Giovanni Andrea Podestà or Giovanni Andrea Podesta (1608 – c. 1674) was an Italian painter and engraver who was active primarily in Rome. His principal subject matter is children playing in landscapes with classical…
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