Bacchus op een wijnvat 1758

Pietro Peiroleri created this print of Bacchus on a wine barrel in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. It draws on classical imagery to invoke the pleasures of wine, nature, and revelry. Made in Italy, the print reflects a specific social and cultural context. Italy has a long and storied history of wine production and its association with pleasure and festivity. The culture surrounding wine extends to religion through the Christian symbol of communion, representing the blood of Christ. We can see classical references in the figures of Bacchus, the Roman God of wine, and his companions who are indulging in the delights of nature. Bacchus sits atop a wine barrel, surrounded by satyrs, cherubs, and a tiger. To learn more about the context in which Peiroleri was working, we might turn to the history of wine production or the classical revival in eighteenth-century Italy. Ultimately, such research helps us understand the social meanings embedded in this image.