Bacchus As A Child - Domenico Piola (genoa, 1627 –1703)

Bacchus as a Child
Domenico Piola (Genoa, 1627 –1703)
Oil on canvas
Canvas 71 x 90 cm
Frame 86 x 105 cm
Excellent condition

The painting depicts Bacchus as a child, completely naked and lying with his legs open on a sheet, while he drinks from a flask held in his mouth with his right hand, helped to support him by a servant putto. The pagan deity is in an evident state of drunkenness, inebriated by the wine, with his face expressing an ecstatic smile. The scene takes place outdoors with the naked bodies of the two protagonists well lit in the foreground, in sharp contrast with the background of the landscape with the dark sky. The canvas is enlivened by a Medici vase richly decorated with figures in high relief, with a splendid, very lively floral composition next to the little drinker.

This is a delightful 17th-century work, faithful to the Genoese school's traditional flair for this fascinating subject, which saw Domenico Piola (Genoa, 1627–1703) as its primary inspiration. The painting is attributed to the talented master, who specialized in allegorical, mythological, and religious scenes featuring cherubs, angels, and cherubic faces, always suited to display in the luxurious palaces of the great Ligurian city.

The canvas is in excellent condition complete with a beautiful gilded frame finely carved with vegetable motifs.