French School [possibly after Jean Antoine Watteau (1684 - 1721)]
Aftermath of a Bacchanal
N.p., n.d., Paris: Mid 18th Century
Color printed etching
21 x 16.25 inches, overall
19.5 x 14.75 inches, plate mark
17.25 x 14 inches, image
$475
Aftermath of a Bacchanal
French: Mid 18th Century
French: Mid 18th Century
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Scene after a painting in the French Rococo style, depicting the aftermath of a bacchanal. Four nude women, possibly Venus and the Three Graces, sleep on a cloth spread upon a niche in the rocks, alongside bunches of grapes and an amphora of wine -- apparently emptied because it lies on its side, as well as a tambourine and a sword. A cherub, two craggy-faced men, and another woman peer down at the scene from above. The theme of mortals discovering sleeping gods appeared in other art of the era.
There is a pencil inscription in the lower margin "Watteau," indicating that the print is based on a work by Jean Antoine Watteau (French, 1684 - 1721). We have been unable to confirm this attribution. Nonethless, the print is generally in the style of the Watteau family and their contemporaries working in the Rococo style (associated with the reign of King Louis XV), particularly François Boucher.
Condition: Generally very good with the usual light overall toning and slight wear to edges. Faint mat burn. Proof before letters.