3-069-283 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Ariadne and Bacchus on the Island of Naxos, 18th century. Additional Info: The theme of the painting is based on a passage from Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (Met. 8 176-182). Bacchus (Greek Dionysus), the god of fertility and wine, accompanied by a procession of nymphs and satyrs, arrived in a chariot drawn by leopards on the island of Naxos, where he found the princess Ariadne in the depths of despair. Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, the mythological king of Crete, was abandoned on this rocky island by Theseus (his sailing ship can be seen in the background to the left), whom she helped to escape the Minotaur's labyrinth. The young Bacchus, wearing a wreath made of a vine and grapes, is leaning over the princess. While his right hand holds hers, the left hand rests on the heart to express the love for her and propose marriage. Hovering above, Hymenaeus is holding a flaming torch, the symbol of passionate and ardent love. Winged putti are decorating rocks and the crowns of trees with floral garlands.