Bacchante omringd door kinderen 1670 - 1675

"Bacchante Surrounded by Children" is an etching by Gerard de Lairesse, made sometime between 1641 and 1711. Lairesse, who was one of the most important painters of the Dutch Golden Age, presents us with a scene steeped in classical mythology. We see a female figure, a Bacchante – a priestess of Bacchus, the god of wine, ecstasy, and theatre – surrounded by frolicking children. The Bacchante’s nudity, along with her association with wine and revelry, reflects the complex attitudes towards women, pleasure, and morality of the 17th century. While the scene celebrates fertility and abundance, the inscription "Immoderatum Dulce. Amarum" suggests that excessive indulgence can lead to bitterness. Lairesse uses the classical world to reflect on the nature of humanity, and the tensions between desire, excess, and consequence. It serves as a potent reminder of the ever-present duality in life.