Bacchanal with a Statue of Ceres 1794

Paul Gregoire made this pen and wash drawing of a Bacchanal with a Statue of Ceres sometime around the turn of the nineteenth century. We see a riotous scene of revelry in the woods, with mythological figures devoted to the Roman god of agriculture, Ceres, engaged in various states of undress and intoxication. This drawing reflects a Neoclassical interest in depicting ancient Roman life, but with a twist. It romanticizes these bacchanals, hinting at a critique of the strict social codes of the time. Gregoire seems to be saying that in a time of revolution, the old codes don’t apply. What does it mean to idealize this pagan scene in post-revolutionary France? Does it signal a kind of moral liberation? Is it a rejection of religious authority? What can historical documents like personal letters and political pamphlets tell us about the role of drawings like these in the French Revolution? Art is contingent on the social conditions of its time and place, and it invites us to ask new questions.