Satyr Trying to Wake Silenus with a Grapevine

Prints and Drawings

c. 1540

Giorgio Ghisi
Italian, 1520-1582

The dangers of overindulging become comically clear in Giorgio Ghisi’s lively engraving. Silenus—Bacchus’s lustful, frequently inebriated companion—appears in a wine-induced stupor, empty pitcher in hand. The attendant teasingly trying to wake Silenus with a bunch of grapes (instead of more wine) may be a reference to the hangover relief now known as the hair of the dog, or in this case, the hair of the goat. Ghisi made this print in a shallow bas-relief style after a drawing by Giulio Romano, adding the grape arbor and background shadows.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Giorgio Ghisi
Title: Satyr Trying to Wake Silenus with a Grapevine
Place: Italy (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1535–1545
Medium: Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions: Plate: 20.2 × 31 cm (8 × 12 1/4 in.); Sheet: 21.5 × 31.5 cm (8 1/2 × 12 7/16 in.)
Credit Line: Joseph Brooks Fair Fund
Reference Number: 1973.164
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/44294/manifest.json

Bartsch 55

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Catalogues Raisonnés

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.