Bacchanalian Scene with Satyrs and a Maenad

Art Historical Context

In the lively *Bacchanalian Scene withyrs and a Maenad*, created around 1515 by the enigmatic Master of 1515, visitors are transported to a whirlwind of mythological revelry. This small engraving (10.2 x 12.3 cm) captures satyrs—half-human, half-goat followers of the wine god Bacchus—frolicking with a maenad, one of Dionysus's ecstatic female devotees. The scene brims with the chaotic energy of ancient Roman bacchanals, blending nudity, dance, and inebriation in a compact, intricate composition that reflects the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity. As an engraving, a precise inta...