Bacchus 1887

Ernest Meissonier created this etching, Bacchus, sometime in the mid-19th century. Meissonier was known for his meticulously detailed depictions of historical and military subjects, often rendered on a small scale, reflective of the academic art traditions of his time. This image of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, ecstasy, and theatre, departs somewhat from his more typical subjects, yet situates itself within the same artistic and social milieu. The figure of Bacchus, wreathed with vines and triumphantly atop a barrel, embodies a spirit of revelry. But what does it mean to invoke such themes of ecstasy and freedom during an era marked by strict social norms? Meissonier seems to be inviting us to consider the complex interplay between restraint and release, control and abandon, that was so indicative of 19th century European society. The choice of Bacchus as a subject, and the delicate, almost restrained, rendering, speaks to the tensions between personal desire and social expectation.