Artwork
The Drunken Silenus
The Drunken Silenus is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jusepe de Ribera. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:recto: in plate, at lower left: alla Pace Gio.IacomoRossi formis Roma / 1649; in plate, at lower center: Al Molto Illre. Sr.Don Gioseppe Balsamo Barone di Cattasi Giorato dell Illmo. / Senata de lla nobile Citta di Messina / Giovanni Orlandi Romano. D.D.; in plate, at lower right: Joseph a Ribera Hisp. Valenti / Setaben f. Partenope / 1628
- Markings
- Marked:recto: at lower right, blindstamp of Calcografia di Roma (Lugt 2144); verso: stamped in purple Division of Prints, Library of Congress [44118 stamped in blue in rectangle] (Lugt 1680)
About this work
Overview
The Drunken Silenus is a print by Jusepe de Ribera, a Spanish artist active in 17th-century Naples. It combines etching and engraving techniques on heavy wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts Silenus, a mythological companion of Dionysus, in a state of intoxication. The scene is chaotic, with a half-naked Silenus slumped against a barrel, surrounded by a woman, child, dog, and tangled vines, conveying a sense of disorder.
Technique & Style
Ribera's use of chiaroscuro and expressive detail characterizes the work. The print's brown tone and heavy wove paper add to its distinctive quality. The combination of etching and engraving allowed for detailed rendering of textures and expressions.
History & Provenance
The print is a restrike produced by the Regia Calcografia in Rome, indicating it was printed from the original plate at a later date. The original plate was created by Ribera around 1634-35.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera (Valencian:; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and printmaker.
