Pierre Paul Rubens, Silènes Walk, 18th Century, 1800s, Engraving on Paper

Description

Beautiful engraving made by Nicolas de Launay after the work of Peter Paul Rubens.This engraving represents a bacchanalian scene featuring … more Beautiful engraving made by Nicolas de Launay after the work of Peter Paul Rubens.This engraving represents a bacchanalian scene featuring Silenus a mythological character.
In this scene Silenus is in the center, intoxicated by wine. He is held by two satyrs, mythological characters known for their excessiveness and their pleasure in getting drunk him with wine. Above Silenus is the nymph Egee who is squeezing blackberry juice in her hands. To the right of the composition is a character playing the flute. On the left is another satyr who is intoxicating a villager, in view of the presence of a goat in the lower left corner. This shepherd has an empty carafe in his hand. In this lower left corner there are also two children holding vines in their hands.

Peter Paul Rubens is a very important Flemish painter of the 17th century. He produced works of great diversity (genre scenes, portraits, historical scenes, religious scenes etc.) His painting is characterized by the little attention he pays to detail, but also by the few strokes forming the drawing. But he pays great attention to the color and movement in these compositions giving a great realism to the whole.

Nicolas de Launay is a French engraver of the XVIIIth century.He enters very quickly the academy of Copenhagen thanks to his great talent. He also became the king's engraver. He is characterized by the great multitudes of subjects in his engravings (reproduction of great masters, portraits, vignettes). One of his major works is the one described above, the March of Silenus after the work of Rubens.

Frame Dimensions :
W: 24,2 Inch
H : 20,9 Inch. less