Skip to Main Content

Artwork Page for Arion on a Sea Horse and Bacchante on a Panther (pair)

Details / Information for Arion on a Sea Horse and Bacchante on a Panther (pair)

Arion on a Sea Horse and Bacchante on a Panther (pair)

1855
Part of a set, view all set records
(French, 1825–1905)
France, 19th century
oil on fabric
Framed: 87.3 x 127 x 5.4 cm (34 3/8 x 50 x 2 1/8 in.); Unframed: 71.3 x 111.8 cm (28 1/16 x 44 in.)
Bequest of Noah L. Butkin 1980.238
Location: 201 French Neoclassical Painting & Sculpture
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Print

Description

These paintings are from a series of eight works that Bouguereau painted for a Parisian home decorated in the style inspired by ancient Roman wall paintings found at Pompeii. The ancient Greek poet Arion escaped pirates by fleeing on the back of a sea creature attracted by the poet's singing. In the companion picture, a bacchante, a female follower of the Roman god Bacchus, rides a panther and carries a pinecone-tipped spear called a thyrsus. The figures are silhouetted against a gold honeycomb–patterned background evoking ancient Roman mosaics Bouguereau had studied in Italy. The soft, waxy flesh tones and glimmering gold leaf were calculated to come to life when viewed under the mansion's gas lighting.

Arion on a Sea Horse and Bacchante on a Panther (pair)

1855

William Adolphe Bouguereau

(French, 1825–1905)
France, 19th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.