Jules Dalou
French, 1838–1902
Bacchus and Ariadne
1894
The princess Ariadne fell asleep on a beach after being abandoned by the hero Theseus. Bacchus, the god of wine, found her and fell instantly in love with her. In Dalou’s sculpture, the god is shown waking Ariadne with a tender kiss, as a faun mischievously tries to squeeze between them and steal attention by offering grapes. The theme derives from a classical myth, and the elements of the narrative reveal themselves as we walk around the sculpture.
| Medium | marble |
| Dimensions | 32 1/4 × 21 × 21 1/8 in. (81.9 × 53.3 × 53.7 cm) |
| Object Number | 1996.3 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by the Clark, 1996 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Jules Dalou, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1894, marble. Clark Art Institute, Acquired by the Clark, 1996.3
Select Bibliography
Gustafson, Eleanor H. "Museum Accessions." The Magazine Antiques 106, no. 5 (October 1997): 430.
Rand, Richard. "Recent Acquisitions (19942005) at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute." The Burlington Magazine 147, no. 1225 (April 2005): 293300.
