ATTRIBUTED TO JAN FRANSE VERZIJL
A Young Man as Bacchus
oil on panel
24 3/8 x 18 7/8 inches (62 x 48 cm.)
THE DRINK OF GODS
Wine. For many people that is enough said, however others enjoy a discussion, an analysis and a taste. This ‘Drink of Gods’ dates at least as far back as 4100 B.C. – the date of the oldest winery found in Armenia. We first see it referenced in Ancient Egypt, with the Greeks really bringing it to the forefront of culture. Having been exposed to wine by the Phoenicians, they began to perfect the beverage, and when settling an area, brought grapevines with them. To stress the importance of wine in the Greek culture, Dionysus was named the Greek God of wine. Seen not only as a gift of the God, wine as well as the grapes that it produced were a symbolic incarnation of Dionysus on earth.
As the Romans took over the Greek empire, they also took over wine development. Bacchus (Dionysus) was also a central part of their culture. They built upon and formalized the Greek's cultivation methods to the point that terroir was recognized and famous vintages were enjoyed for decades. (121 BC being the most well-know - a bit of dinner party trivia for you!). Once the Roman Empire adopted the Catholic Church and Christianity, wine became a crucial part of the sacrament. This caused the Catholic Church to focus on wine cultivation and production. Monks in Italy and France began working as vintners, and winemaking technology was perfected. As the Catholic Church grew, so grew the culture of wine.
Christian faith not only appropriated wine, it also appropriated classical mythology. In the Renaissance and Baroque period, paintings referencing ancient mythology were used as a powerful means of messaging. Art was often very allegorical, giving Christian morals and meanings to classic tales familiar to the audience. A good example is the myth of Ulysses and the ‘seductive music’ of the sirens used in art to represent sacrilegious teachings. Often the sirens would be represented as heretical teachers in Christian art.
Bacchus was an often-portrayed God, fitting perfectly into both annexations of the church. He was particularly relevant in the 17th century where, as we have mentioned before, excessive drinking was both common and a cardinal sin. He was quite handy as a moral compass, and could be used for lectures on gluttony, drunkenness, and temptations of excess, but also that of joyous, light-hearted youth.
Our Bacchus is one of joy and youthfulness, not glutton and excess. The sitter does not look towards the viewer, but looks away with a demure gaze. This lack of engagement with the viewer gives this young man a sense of detachment – slight hint of shyness. This is an example of a portrait historié, a genre that became increasingly popular in Dutch art from around 1630. Artists would depict their subjects as mythological, biblical or historical figures, chosen to best reflect the subject’s personality – in this case the most likely the light hearted nature of Bacchus. You almost have to wonder if this was commissioned to mark an important or special occasion, much like a traditional portrait or photograph on an 18th or 21st birthday? Obviously, this boy is much younger, but given the early age of drinking, it could be possibly a marking of his transition to manhood.
When reading all the stories of Bacchus and his followers, the revelry is often portrayed as completely out of hand, with aggressive sacrifices of animals and humans! What makes this picture special is that is celebrates the innocent joy of the myth and the more measured way of consuming that ‘drink of gods.’ He is not depicted as an angry drunk or an excessive glutton, but as a boy enjoying his first drink of wine and the revel around it – exactly how we think of wine drinking in these times – enjoyable and celebratory, toasting to friends and family, and generally good fun. Who knew that the mid 1600’s could be so modern?
21 April, 2021
To read more about this painting’s incredible journey back into the hands of its rightful owner, click here.