A bacchanal with Pan and the Triumph of Silenus beyond

Gaspare Diziani initially trained as a painter in Belluno before moving to Venice where he worked under Sebastiano Ricci until the latter’s departure from the city in 1715. Diziani remained in Venice, undertaking a number of decorative secular and religious schemes and establishing a successful career painting theatrical scenery.

This work, which shows his clear debt to Ricci, is painted in the artist’s typically spirited brush strokes and assured technique. The large draped urn at the left of the canvas and the painting’s multi-layered compositional recession reflect the influence of the artist’s experience in stage design.