The Bacchanal of the Andrians
The Bacchanal of the Andrians or The Andrians is an oil painting by Titian. It is signed "TICIANUS F.[aciebat]" and is dated to 1523–1526.[1]
| The Bacchanal of the Andrians | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Titian |
| Year | 1523–1526 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 175 cm × 193 cm (69 in × 76 in) |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
The painting is set on the island of Andros. A sleeping nymph and a urinating boy are seen in the lower right foreground while men and women celebrate with jugs of wine. The absence of Bacchus from the painting is explained by Erwin Panofsky, who suggests that the god must be on the departing ship seen in the center background. Due to the artistic liberties Titian took in painting these figures, it is difficult to identify them.
The musical score in the foreground is the canon Chi boyt et ne reboyt il ne seet que boyre soit ("who drinks and does not drink again does not know what drinking is"), attributed to Ferrarese court musician Adrian Willaert.[2]
The painting is now held at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, but it was commissioned by Alfonso I d'Este for his Camerini d'alabastro ('chambers of alabaster') in Ferrara. The decorative programme included other major paintings celebrating Bacchus and Venus, the gods of wine and love. Like its predecessor Bacchus and Ariadne, The Bacchanal of the Andrians was inspired by the Imagines of Philostratus.
The Bacchanal of the Andrians has been admired by other artists including Rubens who copied it in versions that are housed at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.[1]
References
- Checa Cremades, Fernando. "Bacanal de los andrios, La Tiziano". Museo Nacional del Prado (in Spanish). Museo del Prado. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- "The Andrians". Museo Nacional del Prado. Museo del Prado. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
