Bacchanal
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 17 11/16 × 21 7/8 in. (45 × 55.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.97.523
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 16th-century Venetian art, *Bacchanal* (ca. 1557), an impressive engraving by Giulio Sanuto Domenico Campagnola, the wild ecstasy of classical revelry. Campagnola, a skilled engraver influenced by Titian's dramatic style, collaborated here with Sanuto to produce this large-scale print—measuring nearly 18 by 22 inches on trimmed sheet. Engravings like this were revolutionary for their time, allowing intricate details to be reproduced and widely shared, democratizing access to mythological scenes that celebrated life's pleasures. The composition bursts with chaotic energ...