Lot Essay
A drawing closely related to this is in the Uffizi and is inspired by Carracci's fresco of the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome (fig. 1, L. Monaci, Disegni di Giovan Battista Foggini, exhib. cat., Gabinetto disegni e stampe degli Uffizi, Florence, 1977, no. 14, fig. 12). Both drawings differ greatly from Carracci's composition and from the usual iconography of Bacchus' triumphs. While the Carracci show Bacchus on a chariot drawn by goats with Ariadne at his side, Foggini, in both versions, represents Bacchus drawn by centaurs without Ariadne. While Ariadne is absent in the Uffizi version, in the present sheet she is seated in the left foreground with her head turned towards Bacchus.
The Uffizi drawing is dated by Luisa Monaci (op. cit., p. 36) to 1675-6, the early period of Foggini's career during the last years of his stay in Rome.
The Uffizi drawing is dated by Luisa Monaci (op. cit., p. 36) to 1675-6, the early period of Foggini's career during the last years of his stay in Rome.