Bacchus and Ariadne (Bacchanalia) by Nicolas Poussin

Bacchus and Ariadne – a complex multi-figured canvas. Poussin presents the orgy here rather as a triumphal procession dedicated to the marriage of Bacchus and the beautiful Ariadne. Their images serve as the compositional center of the picture. We see Bacchus leaning from the chariot to raise Ariadne to her. Nymphs, satires and cupids whirl around in a merry dance.

The color palette is built on contrast, warm golden hues of the earth and very cold sky and sea in the background. The picture evokes a feeling of joy and admiration for the harmony of the universe. Bacchus is an ancient Roman version of the god Dionysus, the Greeks called him Bacchus. The myth of Ariadne, the daughter of the king of Crete Minos, tells us that, at the request of Dionysus, Theseus left his beloved and Dionysus married her