Beauvais XVII – XVIII “Bacchus Et Ariane” 286 X 213

Baccchus and Ariane

Beauvais late XVIIth – early XVIIIth century

286 x 213 cm

Material: Wool and silk

This Beauvais tapestry represents Bacchus and Ariane.

It is framed by rich polychrome floral border, parrots, masks, cornucopias and monkeys.

The scene shows the two deities on the island of Naxos, suggested by the shells.

Bacchus is represented with its traditional attributes: the tiara, his crown of vine leaves and two panthers that a putti feeds with grapes. This episod is important because Bacchus is going to offerAriane the crown which will become the constellation of the boreal crown.