Bacchanales: Nymph Supported by Two Satyrs

Jean-Honoré Fragonard made these four etchings shortly after returning to Paris from Italy, where he studied antique subjects and sculpture. He may have also looked at other sources for inspiration, such as Jacques François Joseph Saly’s suite of vase designs. Though the prints feature the followers of Bacchus, the wine god does not make an appearance. Instead, Fragonard highlighted the playfully erotic frolics, conflicts, and even family life of a group of bacchants, conceiving them as low-relief sculptures on stone fragments within abundant foliage. Fragonard’s creations helped to popularize revelries in nature in French art, architecture, and garden design during the later 1700s.

A horizontally oriented print in black ink depicts a nude nymph and two kneeling satyrs with light skin tones within a central oval. The nymph sits on the satyrs' clasped hands, arms resting on their shoulders, as she gazes downward toward our left. The satyrs feature human torsos, shaggy animal legs, and tails. Dense, finely lined foliage and tall reeds frame the oval scene, set amidst a lush landscape.

Bacchanales: Nymph Supported by Two Satyrs

1763

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

(French, 1732–1806)

France, 18th century

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