Bacchant With Cymbals, Neoclassical Oil On Canvas Attributed To Jean-simon Berthélémy (1743–18

An elegant oil-on-canvas painting from the second half of the 18th century depicting a Bacchante, or Maenad, in a scene inspired by antiquity.

Reclining on a feline pelt, the young priestess of Bacchus is captured in a graceful pose, her arms raised as she strikes two cymbals, while a sheer gauze veil delicately highlights her nudity. The painter renders the body with great tenderness, bathed in a pearlescent light characteristic of the emerging neoclassical style.

The composition is rich in attributes evoking the cult of Bacchus: an overturned jug spilling wine, a tambourine, an antique incense burner from which light smoke rises, and a bust of Pan or a satyr emerging from the rocks, evoking the world of bacchanalia and woodland deities.

The execution, the quality of the drawing, the modeling of the flesh tones, and the treatment of the face all link this work to the style of Jean-Simon Berthélémy, a history painter admitted to the Royal Academy in 1767, whose compositions inspired by antiquity enjoyed great success during the reign of Louis XVI.

The painting is in excellent condition. It underwent a restoration some time ago that perfectly highlights its original color palette. It is preserved on its original canvas and original key-lock stretcher.

It is presented in an elegant wooden frame with gilded stucco from the Restoration period, decorated with palmette motifs.

A charming Neoclassical work combining poetry, sensuality, and references to antiquity, ideal for a collection of 18th-century French paintings.

Dimensions

• Canvas: 44 x 36 cm
• With frame: 57 × 50 cm

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