Bacchanal
n.d.
Medium
Red chalk, with traces of black chalk, on paper
Dimensions
21.4 × 33 cm (8 7/16 × 13 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
62175
Art Historical Context
Claude Gillot's *Bacchanal*, a lively red chalk drawing on paper (with subtle traces of black chalk), the exuberant spirit of mythological revelry in a compact 21.4 × 33 cm sheet. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings Department, this undated work exemplifies Gillot's mastery of dynamic, theatrical compositions. As a French artist active in the late 17th and early th centuries, Gillot drew inspiration from classical antiquity and contemporary Italian commedia dell'arte, infusing his scenes with playful energy and movement. Red chalk, or sanguine, was a favored medium for pr...
About the Artist
Claude Gillot · 1673–1722
Artist known for his elegant designs done in the Rococo manner of Audran; also for his predilection for scenes from the 'comedia dell'arte.' Few paintings survive; his work is known mainly through drawings and etchings. Comment on works: Genre; History