Dionysian Frieze c. 1787 - 1790

Jean-Guillaume Moitte created this drawing, Dionysian Frieze, with pen and gray ink, and gray wash on paper. Here, the symbols of the god Dionysus, the wine god, appear in full force. Note the thyrsus, the fennel stalk topped with a pine cone, a symbol of prosperity, fertility, and pleasure. The maenads, female followers of Dionysus, dance ecstatically, embodying the loss of control and the divine madness associated with the cult of Dionysus. We even see Pan, half-man and half-goat, associated with fertility and the wild. These symbols evoke Bacchic rituals in ancient Greece and Rome. Similar scenes have been found on ancient pottery and Roman frescoes; gestures and symbols transcend time. The intoxicating, frenzied dance can be seen as a release of primal instincts, a celebration of life's energy. The cyclical nature of these symbols is striking. The revelry associated with Dionysus has resurfaced throughout history, evolving through different cultural contexts. Think of the medieval carnivals or modern-day festivals. Each time, the underlying human desire for liberation and ecstasy finds its expression.