The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 18, 2025
Silenus
1628
(Spanish, 1591–1652)
Sheet: 27 x 35 cm (10 5/8 x 13 3/4 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Salamon 16A
Location: 101A Prints & Drawings
Did You Know?
Corpulent bodies were often used in early modern art to symbolize laziness, overindulgence, and moral corruption.Description
Before a large wine barrel, Silenus (Bacchus’s teacher) lies inebriated on the ground as he raises his cup to receive wine from a satyr in this print. Jusepe de Ribera included these and other details indicating that the scene was intended to be humorous. Two infants mimic Silenus, and a braying donkey adds to the chaotic setting. Pan, patron of shepherds, with his pipe and staff at his feet, crowns Silenus with grapevines. A satyr and a maenad, at upper left, contribute music as well as sexual innuendo (implied by the placement of the satyr’s flute). Ribera drew inspiration from Andrea Mantegna’s bacchanalia image but he introduced more texture and sensuality to the subject matter through his rich etching technique.- ?–1966(R.E. Lewis, Inc., San Francisco, CA, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH)May 25, 1966–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Peters, Emily J. “In Vino Veritas: Wine's Truths and Consequences on Display.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 65, no. 3 (2025): 10-11. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 11 archive.org
- In Vino Veritas (In Wine, Truth). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 7, 2025-January 11, 2026).Baroque Imagery. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 6, 1984-January 6, 1985).
- {{cite web|title=Silenus|url=false|author=Jusepe de Ribera|year=1628|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1966.123