Putti Bacchanale n.d.

This drawing, "Putti Bacchanale," presents us with frolicking cherubs, symbols deeply rooted in classical antiquity. The putto, often associated with Cupid or Eros, evolved from pagan representations of youthful energy and love. Here, their association with a "Bacchanale" links them to the ecstatic, often chaotic, celebrations of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Notice how the figures, seemingly caught in a dance, evoke a sense of unrestrained joy. The musical instrument, the Bacchic revelry, all point to a release of inhibitions, a theme that appears across art history, even finding echoes in medieval depictions of the "Dance of Death." This dance is a potent symbol that expresses the thin line between pleasure and frenzy, deeply embedded in our collective memory. This image conveys the enduring human fascination with states of altered consciousness, with pleasure and chaos.