A drunken Silenus riding an ass being supported by satyrs
1531–76
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 1/2 × 8 11/16 in. (14 × 22 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.16-93
Tags
Art Historical Context
Giulio Bonasone’s engraving captures a lively scene from classical mythology, showing the drunken Silenus—companion to the god Bacchus—precariously riding a donkey while satyrs steady him on either side. Created sometime between 1531 and 1576, the small printjust 14 by 22 centimeters) brings together humor and movement in a compact composition. Bonasone, an Italian printmaker active during the Renaissance, specialized in such mythological subjects, drawing on ancient tales to appeal to educated collectors of his day. The theme reflects the Renaissance fascination with Greco-Roman stories, whe...
About the Artist
Giulio Bonasone · 1500–1600
Comment on works: History; Mythology