Silenus op een ezel ondersteund door een sater 1666 - 1710

Franz Ertinger created this etching, now held at the Rijksmuseum, depicting Silenus on a donkey supported by a satyr. Here, we witness the ancient revelry, centered around Silenus, the tutor and companion of Dionysus, god of wine. Silenus, often depicted as drunk and jovial, embodies the ecstatic release and altered states of consciousness associated with Dionysian rituals. Note the satyrs, creatures of myth, half-human and half-goat, symbols of untamed nature and primal instincts. Their presence evokes a sense of the wild, the unrestrained, and the blurring of boundaries between man and beast. Consider the motif of inebriation, a recurring theme in art across centuries. Think of the drunken Noah, an archetype of moral failing, echoed in Renaissance paintings and even modern interpretations. The act of intoxication, whether celebrated or condemned, taps into a profound human desire for escape, for liberation from the constraints of reason and societal norms. These symbols, potent and enduring, engage viewers on a deep, subconscious level. Observe the cyclical progression—from ancient bacchanals to Renaissance feasts, from the sacred to the profane. The image resurfaces, ever-evolving, a testament to the enduring power of cultural memory.