Silenus ondersteund door een jonge bacchant

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 11

Art Historical Context

Behold *Silenus ondersteund door een jonge bac* (Silenus Supported by Young Bacchante), captivating engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi created between 1520 and 1525. This intimate scene (179mm × 136mm) draws from classical mythology, depicting the inebriated Silenus—companion to the god Bacchus—leaning heavily on a youthful female follower amid Dionysian revelry. Raimi's masterful composition evokes the exuberant spirit of Renaissance interpretations of ancient tales, blending sensuality and whimsy. As one of the era's premier engravers, Raimondi elevated printmaking to high art, using fine copperplate techniques to achieve exquisite line work, subtle shading, and lifelike textures. His engravings, often reproducing designs by Raphael and other luminaries, democratized Renaissance masterpieces, allowing them to circulate widely across Europe. This period piece exemplifies the High Renaissance's technical innovation and humanist fascination with antiquity. Adorned with a collector's mark (Lugt 11), likely from an esteemed 18th-century connoisseur, the print underscores its enduring allure among art lovers. A testament to engraving's portability and precision, it invites visitors to ponder the joys—and excesses—of mythological merriment.

About the Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi · 1475–1534

Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...