A Faun Grasping a Bunch of Grapes

Curatorial Overview

“This drawing relates to a finished painting (now lost) by Peter Paul Rubens that depicted a faun (a woodland creature similar to a satyr) squeezing grapes into the mouth of a young Bacchus. That figure, shown here, could be Silenus, who educated Bacchus on the pleasures of wine, revelry, and nature. Rubens ran a large studio and employed numerous apprentices, one of whom may have made this copy after the original painting. As a form of instruction, Rubens added ink wash to the drawing to enhance the shading on the figure and shadows behind it.”