A Dedication to Bacchus

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

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Keywords: DedicationBacchus

Work Overview

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.