The Feast of Bacchus

Art Historical Context

Behold *The Feast of Bacchus (ca. 1738), a lively etching and engraving from the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints collection. This print bears the names of Parisian print publisher Chez Huquier, engraver Pierre Alexandre Avel, and renowned Rococo painter François Boucher, who likely supplied the exuberant design. Depicting the Roman god of wine, Bacchus (Dionysus in Greek mythology), amid a riotous feast with animals frolicking in the scene, it captures the god's mythical revelry in a compact sheet measuring just over 9 by 10 inches. Created during the height of the French Rococo period, the work reflects the era's delight in ornate, playful mythology and sensory pleasures, evoking the opulent courts of Louis XV. Etching and engraving techniques allowed for intricate details—etching's fluid lines for Bacchus's flowing robes and grapevines, engraving's precision for textures in animal fur and banquet bounty—making fine art accessible beyond original paintings through affordable reproductions. As a celebration of indulgence and nature's wild side, this print underscores Rococo's cultural embrace of escapism amid Enlightenment rationalism. Acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1953, it invites visitors to toast to 18th-century joie de vivre.

About the Artist

Chez Huquier|Pierre Alexandre Aveline|François Boucher (French|French) · 1703 |0018 –1770 |0018

French, Paris 1703–1770 Paris|French, 18th century