The Triumph of Silenus
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 15 15/16 × 18 1/4 in. (40.5 × 46.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.7660
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Triumph of Silenus a captivating engraving by Nicolas de Launay, reproducing a composition linked to Baroque masters Anthony van Dyck Peter Paul Rubens. Produced between 1775 and1778, this trimmed sheet measures 15 15/16 × 18 1/4 inches (40.5 × 46.3 cm) and resides in the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department courtesy of The Elisha Whitt Collection. The title evokes a lively mythological scene from classical antiquity, where Silenus boisterous tutor and companion of Bacchus (Dionysus)—takes center stage in a procession of revelry. Rubens and van Dyck, Flemish artists renowned for their dramatic, sensual Baroque style, infused such subjects with swirling energy, rich textures, and human vitality, celebrating themes of indulgence and ecstasy that resonated in 17th-century Europe. Launay's engraving exemplifies the reproductive print's power: using precise intaglio lines etched into a metal plate, it disseminated the grandeur of oil paintings to a broader audience during the Enlightenment. This technique preserved the originals' intricate details while bridging Baroque exuberance with 18th-century appreciation for antiquity, underscoring prints' role in art history's democratization.
About the Artist
Nicolas de Launay|Anthony van Dyck|Peter Paul Rubens (French|French|French) · 1732 |1739 |1739 –1806 |1792 |1792
French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris|French, Paris, 1739–1792|French, Paris, 1739–1792