Groots bacchanaal

Gerard de Lairesse created this etching of a large Bacchanal scene, sometime around the late 17th century in the Netherlands. The image presents a drunken revelry, a common theme at a time when the Dutch Republic was consolidating its wealth and power through overseas trade. De Lairesse’s image participates in a longer history of similar scenes by earlier masters such as Peter Paul Rubens. The scene is full of classical references, alluding to a deep knowledge of Graeco-Roman art and myth. But rather than simply emulating the past, artists like de Lairesse were part of a culture that deployed classical forms to express contemporary values. In a newly wealthy society, art academies played an increasing role, codifying and teaching artistic rules. This print is both an exercise in established conventions and perhaps also a questioning of the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, as it touches on themes of excess. To fully understand this work, we would want to consult not only the artist’s biography but also archival material relating to the art market of the time, and studies of Dutch social history.