Bacchus Finding Ariadne on Naxos

The god Bacchus, accompanied by a satyr with a torch, discovers the sleeping Ariadne and falls in love with the princess. It is hardly a coincidence that Cupid, the god of love, is seated in the foreground. De Vries was court sculptor to the eccentric Emperor Rudolf II, a lover of mildly erotic art. This relief was thus most likely made for the emperor or someone in the imperial household.

Bacchus Finding Ariadne on Naxos

The god Bacchus, accompanied by a satyr with a torch, discovers the sleeping Ariadne and falls in love with the princess. It is hardly a coincidence that Cupid, the god of love, is seated in the foreground. De Vries was court sculptor to the eccentric Emperor Rudolf II, a lover of mildly erotic art. This relief was thus most likely made for the emperor or someone in the imperial household.