18th century, Bacchic scene

Venetian school, 18th century Bacchic scene Oil on canvas, 42 X 69 cm With frame, 53 X 79 cm This small painting from the Venetian school depicts the meeting between several deities with the god Bacchus as the protagonist, intent on ''pouring'' a glass of wine to a female figure seated on some bundles of wheat. The latter should be identified with Ceres, the tutelary goddess of agriculture, often represented in the company of the god of the harvest for obvious connections related to life and work in the fields. Bacchus, recognizable by the thyrsus, the vine wreath and the bunch of grapes he squeezes so blatantly and ostentatiously in order to fill the glass of Ceres, is placed at the center of this country scene, surrounded by other mythological figures who look at the viewer almost as if they wanted to invite him to join their small ceremony. The first on the left should be identified with Flora, goddess of spring, given the large amount of flowers that surrounds her; following we find another woman, sitting at the bottom right while holding a cornucopia from which a river of fruit flows, a symbol of agricultural abundance usually associated with the goddess Ops; finally, behind the scenes we find a faun carrying a basket of mushrooms to the guests. The scene contrasts the dynamism of the two male characters with the more static poses of the female ones, while the background is divided between the foliage of the forest and a glimpse of hills on which two buildings stand out that can be traced back to castles. The details of the flowers, mushrooms, fruits and in general of the natural elements are precious and are treated with a dense brushstroke and bright colors, while the faces of the figures in the foreground show a spontaneous, serene and, in the case of Bacchus, playful expressiveness. The latter, together with Ceres, emerges for the sinuosity given by the lines of the body on which the clothes fall and accentuated by the almost theatrical pose.