Von Stuck and his American wife built a large home in Munich called Villa von Stuck. The artist went to great lengths to design virtually everything in and on the place, from the bas relief shown above to the drapes, furniture, and carpets. It is now a museum open to the public.
This is an illustration of Διόνυσος (Dionysos), the god of wine and festivities, also known as Βάκχος (Bacchos), and more familiar to us in his Latin cognate, Dionysus. The youth's cup is empty and he is clearly drunk, as is typical in Bacchanalian revelries.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a Bacchanalian scene, and it leaves me wishing that von Stuck had done more sculpture.
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