A Dedication to Bacchus Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema Date: 1889 Style: Romanticism Genre: mythological painting Media: oil, canvas Dimensions: 177.5 x 77.5 cm Location: Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s painting A Dedication to Bacchus is an imaginative and dramatic work inspired by ancient Roman ritual. The subject of the painting is, as the title suggests, a dedication to Bacchus (Bacchus was the Roman god of wine, and rites celebrated in his honor were called Bacchanalia). In this image, a young child is being initiated into the mysteries of Bacchus - this child is therefore a “dedication” to the god.
The golden haired child stands to the left of the painting, in front of a group of male and female musicians. Next to them a pair of graceful female figures are dancing to the music - these figures are meant to represent bacchantes or maenads, female followers of the god Bacchus. The center of the work is dominated by a tiger skin clad bacchante who is holding a branch in the air. She is echoed visually by another bacchante wearing a leopard skin who stands serenely on the far left.
While the actions of the beautifully depicted figures make A Dedication to Bacchus a compelling work, it is important to note that the rich archaeological details also contribute to the authenticity of this painting. Lawrence Alma-Tadema included several references to Classical art in this piece, such as his frieze of a centauromachy (a mythological battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs) that was based on an image from the Temple of Apollo at Bassae. It is also worth mentioning that a pamphlet written by F.G. Stephens accompanied the painting when it was exhibited in 1889. This pamphlet featured an interpretation of the subject of Alma-Tadema’s intriguing work.
Copyright Statement:
All the reproduction of any forms about this work unauthorized by Singing Palette including images, texts and so on will be deemed to be violating the Copyright Laws. To cite this webpage, please link back here.