Flemish Baroque Bronze Bacchus

A rare example of early Baroque-era sculpture, this Flemish bronze captures one of the most beloved and jovial deities of myth and legend: Bacchus, the god of wine. The figure is rendered with a drama and expressivity typical of the period — his glass raised in salute, Bacchus appears as though captured mid-toast. Emotive and highly detailed, it is exemplary of the dynamism that flourished in the arts during the Baroque age.

The figure’s broad frame and dense musculature reveal the legacy of Michelangelo, whose works remained highly influential through the early Baroque period. Yet, it also shows an indebtedness to the monumental nudes of the great Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, particularly in his highly expressive poses. With limbs spiraling outwards from his torso, Bacchus is captured in barely contained and somewhat inebriated motion. His muscles are clearly defined over his powerful physique, which is perfectly captured in the smooth surface of the bronze. With its highly dramatic pose and anatomical accuracy, the figure embodies the expressive tension of the Baroque style.

The end of the Renaissance and the early Baroque period saw some of the finest creations in terms of artistic quality, and bronzes created during this period are exceptionally rare on the market. That this example hails from Flanders, one of the richest artistic epicenters in Europe during this period, makes it even more exceptional. Comparable bronzes can be found in museums around the world, including a very similar 17th-century bronze in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Circa 1670

7” wide x 7” deep x 12 1/2” high