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Some say we have to thank Bachus for inventing wine...
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
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Bachus,
the Roman name for the Greek god Dionysos.
This effeminate god of wine,
madness and ecstasy,
often appears in scenes of revelry and licentiousness.
called Bacchanalia.
This infamous celebration was notorious for sexual and criminal acts
and was thus forbidden by the Roman Senators later on.
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Caravaggio's
BACHUS
produced in the 16th century,
currently held by the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
Michelangelo Merisi or Amerighi da Caravaggio,
29 September 1571? – 18 July 1610?)
was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta,
and Sicily between 1592 (1595?) and 1610.
His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state,
both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting,
had a formative influence on the Baroque school of painting
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Whether intentional or not, there is humor in this painting.
The pink-faced Bacchus is an accurate portrayal of a half-drunk teenager
dressed in a sheet and leaning on a mattress in the Cardinal's Rome palazzo,
but far less convincing as a Greco-Roman god.
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
circa 1595
In his Bachus painting, Caravaggio shows the god as a 16th Century Italian teenager,
offering the viewer wine, spoiled fruit and perhaps something more....
Composition:
One of art historian's favorite topics when discussing Caracaggio's Bachus
is the still-life of fruit in the foreground.
The artist's early years painting fruits and flowers
for the Cavaliere d'Arpino definitely paid off,
as the Caracaggio's mastery of still-life elements shines brilliantly.
Like the dirty fingernails, many have wondered if this basket of bruised,
overripe, wormy fruits could also have a symbolic message,
such as a warning of the fleetingness of youth and eminence of death,
or if Caravaggio was just painting what he truly saw.
After the Bachus was restored, conservators discovered
that Caravaggio even painted in a tiny reflection
of himself on the carafe of wine.
Once again, the careful observer can spot the familiar face
of the model who is probably Mario Minniti, who can also be seen
in The Fortune Teller as well as several other early paintings.
Although the purported subject of this painting is a Greek (or Roman) god,
Caravaggio makes no effort to uphold the illusion.
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The model's vaguely antique toga is recognizable
as a contemporary man's shirt pulled down over one shoulder,
and the artist even shows the dirty mattress
peeking out under a none-too-clean sheet.
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In his Bachus painting, Caravaggio shows the god as a 16th Century Italian teenager,
offering the viewer wine, spoiled fruit and perhaps something more....
Composition:
One of art historian's favorite topics when discussing Caracaggio's Bachus
is the still-life of fruit in the foreground.
The artist's early years painting fruits and flowers
for the Cavaliere d'Arpino definitely paid off,
as the Caracaggio's mastery of still-life elements shines brilliantly.
Like the dirty fingernails, many have wondered if this basket of bruised,
overripe, wormy fruits could also have a symbolic message,
such as a warning of the fleetingness of youth and eminence of death,
or if Caravaggio was just painting what he truly saw.
After the Bachus was restored, conservators discovered
that Caravaggio even painted in a tiny reflection
of himself on the carafe of wine.
of the model who is probably Mario Minniti, who can also be seen
in The Fortune Teller as well as several other early paintings.
Although the purported subject of this painting is a Greek (or Roman) god,
Caravaggio makes no effort to uphold the illusion.
*
The model's vaguely antique toga is recognizable
as a contemporary man's shirt pulled down over one shoulder,
and the artist even shows the dirty mattress
peeking out under a none-too-clean sheet.
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The basket of fruits in the Bacchus is sometimes interpreted as a vanitas. A vanitas is a type of still-life painting especially popular in Dutch and Flemish art of the Renaissance and Baroque, which is intended to remind the viewer of the fleeting nature and meaninglessness of earthly life.
Common vanitas symbols include skulls, timepieces (to show that time on earth is running out), bubbles (for their fragility), and, as here, wilting flowers and rotting fruit.
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Due to the way in which Bacchus' offers the wine with his left hand, which requires a great deal of effort, many have speculated that Caravaggio used a mirror to help him while working, to avoid the need for drawing.
This means that the boy actually offers the wine with his right hand. This supports a comment by artist Giovanni Baglione, Caravaggio's early biographer, that the artist did some early paintings using a mirror.
This is also reinforced by the fact that after the painting was cleaned, a tiny portrait of Caravaggio working at his easel was revealed in the glass' reflection. Also, Bachus' reflection is evident on the surface of the wine in the glass he is holding.
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As was generally the case with Caravaggio's works,
Bachus is striking for the artist's careful attention to realistic detail.
text source: here
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Bachus is striking for the artist's careful attention to realistic detail.
text source: here
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Canestra di Frutta, circa 1599, Abrosiana Library, Milan
Much has been made - again - of the worm-eaten, insect-predated,
and generally less than perfect condition of the fruit.
Possibly Caravaggio simply painted what was available;
or possibly it has some meaning along the general lines of 'all things decay'
(Another still-life of Caravaggio, also one of my favorite ones)
and generally less than perfect condition of the fruit.
Possibly Caravaggio simply painted what was available;
or possibly it has some meaning along the general lines of 'all things decay'
(Another still-life of Caravaggio, also one of my favorite ones)
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The Vine of Dionysus
Like the myth of Ariadne, the vine of
Dionysus has been important in Christian art.
In archaic and classical art Dionysus or his followers are wreathed with vine leaves or ivy.
In early Christian art (especially in mosaics)
the vine appears as an allegory or symbol of eternal life,
in part because of Christ’s saying "I am the true vine" (John 15:17).
It is shown on the wall mosaic of Christus Apollo in the Vatican cemetery,
and the vine and the vintage are repeatedly shown
in the mosaics of the fourth century A.D.
on the vaults of the church of Santa Costanza in Rome,
built to house the sarcophagi
of the emperor Constantine’s mother and family.
All these images appear in post-classical art with great frequency.
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Depictions of Dionysus in Art:
In archaic and classical art Dionysus or his followers are wreathed with vine leaves or ivy.
In early Christian art (especially in mosaics)
the vine appears as an allegory or symbol of eternal life,
in part because of Christ’s saying "I am the true vine" (John 15:17).
It is shown on the wall mosaic of Christus Apollo in the Vatican cemetery,
and the vine and the vintage are repeatedly shown
in the mosaics of the fourth century A.D.
on the vaults of the church of Santa Costanza in Rome,
built to house the sarcophagi
of the emperor Constantine’s mother and family.
All these images appear in post-classical art with great frequency.
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Depictions of Dionysus in Art:
Dionysus,
like Apollo and Heracles,
is one of the most frequently represented figures in ancient
and postclassical art.
No more than a very few selections can be given here
from the thousands of surviving works of art...
from:
Representations in Art
text source - and more here:
http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195397703/student/materials/chapter13/rep_art/
is one of the most frequently represented figures in ancient
and postclassical art.
No more than a very few selections can be given here
from the thousands of surviving works of art...
from:
Representations in Art
text source - and more here:
http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195397703/student/materials/chapter13/rep_art/
DIONYSOS (or Dionysus)
was the great Olympian god of wine, vegetation, pleasure and festivity.
He invented wine on Mount Nyssa and spread the art of tending grapes around the world. He was said to bring joy and divine ecstasy as well as brutality and rage reflecting both sides of wine’s nature. Dionysus was a popular deity and most of his followers were women-the maenads. They were said to engage in ecstatic dancing during celebrations.
His attributes included the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped staff),
drinking cup, leopard and fruiting vine.
He was usually accompanied by a troop of Satyrs and Mainades (female devotees or nymphs).
Some of the more famous myths featuring the god include:
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
- His birth from the thigh of Zeus and his fostering by Ino,
- Seilenos and the Nysiades;
- His flight from Lykourgos who drove the young god and his followers into the sea;
- The dismemberment of Pentheus who denied the god's divinity and attempted to drive him from Thebes;
- The instruction of Ikarios in winemaking;
- The metamorphosis of the Tyrrhenian pirates into dolphins when they attempted to kidnap him;
Bacchus
was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual
madness and ecstasy. He was one of the primary gods worshipped in
Ephesus in Roman times. The infamous celebrations of Bacchus, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they
were forbidden by the Roman Senate.
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
The followers of Bacchus had a strong theology: The more wine they drank, the more Bacchus filled them and controlled them. They became like him. Therefore drunkenness was to be highly celebrated as a spiritual experience.
So it is no surprise that the Apostle Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, draws a powerful comparison for the believers in that great city:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (dissipation, drunkenness, lasciviousness). Instead, be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18).
- See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/2011/05/holy-and-unholy-spirits-why-would-paul-say-that/#sthash.CrosBVtm.dpuf
- His love for Ariadne who he found abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos and wed;
- His journey to the underworld to recover his mother or wife;
- His campaign against the Indians.
read full history here:
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'Grab' a bottle of wine - enjoy your weekend,
the last one in September,
don't get mad - don't get drunk!
Alla Salute - Yamas - Cheers...
Sante!
A bientot.....
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Remark:
large painting of Dyonysus and Ariadne
by Titian, 1520-23, full History here
National Gallery, London,
Superbe post Karin, une pure merveille. Vos nuits d'insomnies sont tout à fait inspirantes! Et même si la nature automnale nous rapproche de l'hiver, rendre hommage à Bacchus de cette manière ne peut que donner envie de partager un verre..
ReplyDeleteMerci , ce dimanche commence bien, malgrè la pluie.
M.Claude
Super post Karin ! I have seen the painting many times but never noticed the reflection in the wine glass ! yes naughty Bachus ...sounds like a wild life !! it's so interesting to hear these tales....
ReplyDeletesalute ! I shall think of this post when I have a glass of my favourite wine ...moscatel ..rather too sweet for my husband but just right for me !
have a good week...Gail x
A beautiful and subtle discourse. I, too, especially admire the still life from 1599 (sometimes dated as early as 1571), for its original pull of the basket almost out of the frame, by breaching the margin of the plane it occupies. A gorgeous posting.
ReplyDelete