Dionysus in the Garden

Name: Dionysus statue in the Gardens in Maribell Palace

Date: 1730

Location: Gardens in Maribell Palace

Approximate Dimensions: unknown

Sculptor: Ottavio Mosto

Medium: stone

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg#Main_sights, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Mirabell

Picture taken by Chris Carter

Significance of the work:

This depiction of Dionysus, unlike the similar one of Artemis, is faithful to the standard classical model of him. He is carrying his aulos and has a satchel hanging on his side. The most prominent feature of this statue, though, is that Dionysus is posed in a feminine position. His satchel even covers up his most prominent male feature. Because of these aspects, this statue is easily identified as Bacchus. When this is compared with renditions of Artemis, it is interesting to see how she is sculpted in a masculine manner but Bacchus is sculpted in a very feminine form. To me this seems to say that the ancient Greeks sometimes believed that gender was not always about the way you were born but the way you carried yourself.

Dionysus and his Maenads

Name: Dionysus and his Maenads

Date: Mid first century

Location: Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii

Approximate Dimensions: 7x20 feet

Painter: unknown

Medium: Wall painting in a Roman triclinium

Sources of info: Roman Art, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclinium, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_of_the_Mysteries

Picture taken by Chris Carter

Significance of the work:

In this painting of Dionysus, the god of wine, and his ecstatic followers the Maenads, many elements of the Dionysian cult are represented. One of the rites of the cult was initiation. To join the cult, one had to go through the initiation rite of being hit by a switch. This painting shows a young woman being whipped by a half-naked angel. Another element represented is the behavior of the Maenads. According to Roman Art, “One (Maenad) is naked and dancing with cymbals, a twirling piece of drapery flowing from her shoulder” (89). Finally, this painting shows the normal entourage of Dionysus. He is normally accompanied by his Maenads, Silenus, and satyrs. This painting contains all those elements.

Family Tree and Chart

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