BACCHUS AND ARIADNE ON THE ISLAND OF NAXOS

THE ORIGINAL, ON CANVAS, 73 X 85.5 CM, WAS SOLD AT CHRISTIE'S MONACO, 15 JUNE 1990, LOT 50, WITH ILL. AND IS NOW IN THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART, PHILADELPHIA. AS POINTED OUT BY N. GARNIER, ANTOINE COYPEL, 1989, PP.116/8, NO49, IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE DUKE OF ORLEANS IN 1693 AND WAS ENGRAVED BY THE ARTIST IN THE SAME YEAR. THE HISTORY OF THE PICTURE BETWEEN ITS EXECUTION AND THE SALE AT CHRISTIE'S MONACO IN 1990 IS UNKNOWN. GARNIER MENTIONS ITS PRESENCE IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION IN BâLE, WITHOUT KNOWING THE DATE. NUMEROUS COPIES AFTER THE COMPOSITION EXIST, BOTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ORIGINAL AND IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ENGRAVING (SEE LOT 12). THE PRESENT COPY DATES FROM THE 18TH CENTURY AND FOLLOWS THE DIRECTION OF THE ORIGINAL.

THE SUBJECT IS TAKEN FROM OVID'S METAMORPHOSES. IT SHOWS BACCHUS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL ON NAXOS WITH HIS LEOPARD-DRAWN CHARIOT. HE IS SHOWN PROPOSING TO ARIADNE, WHO HAD JUST BEEN ABANDONED BY THESEUS AFTER HELPING HIM ESCAPE FROM THE MINOTAUR'S LABYRINTH.