Birth of Bacchus

Birth of Bacchus

Giulio Romano, about 1533

Download4000 × 2598 px View on a wall Edit

Artist: Giulio Romano (Italian, before, 1499–1546)
Medium: Pen and brown ink, brown wash with black chalk underdrawing. Squared in black chalk for transfer
Size: 25.1 × 40.6 cm (9 7/8 × 16 in.)
Culture: Italian
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

While the winds belch fire, Jupiter opens the mortal womb of his lover Semele with a thunderbolt and snatches forth the baby god Bacchus. His love for Semele had enraged his wife the goddess Juno, who swore to destroy her. Disguised as Semele's old nurse, Juno tricked Semele into asking Jupiter to come to her in all his splendor. Thus Jupiter's godly presence set Semele's frail human body on fire.

After Giulio Romano completed this preparatory drawing, it was squared so that his assistants could copy it onto another surface. Inventories show that Giulio made a painting with a similar subject for the ducal palace in Mantua to celebrate the birth of a Gonzaga prince in 1533, the son of Giulio's patron Federico Gonzaga. He may have made this drawing as a study for another painting of the same subject, now in the Getty Museum.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.

More by Giulio Romano

The Holy Family

The Holy Family

Giulio Romano, about 1518–1520

The Birth of Bacchus

The Birth of Bacchus

Giulio Romano, c. 1530

Maria wast de voeten van jonge Christus

Maria wast de voeten van jonge Christus

Giulio Romano, 1509 - 1546

Circumcision

Triumph of Titus and Vespasian

Triumph of Titus and Vespasian

Giulio Romano, 1537

The Sacrifice of Isaac

The Sacrifice of Isaac

Giulio Romano, about 1516–1518

Portrait of Margherita Paleologo

Portrait of Margherita Paleologo

Giulio Romano, 1531

Venus and Vulcan

Venus and Vulcan

Hercules Resting after Killing the Hydra

Hercules Resting after Killing the Hydra

Giulio Romano, about 1535

Adoration of the Shepherds with Sts. Longinus and John

Adoration of the Shepherds with Sts. Longinus and John

Giulio Romano, 1531–1534

Victory, Janus, Chronos and Gaea

Victory, Janus, Chronos and Gaea

Giulio Romano, about 1532–1534

Mary Magdalen carried to Heaven

Mary Magdalen carried to Heaven

Giulio Romano, ca. 1544

Visually similar

Angels and Putti Flying with a Garland: Design for a Ceiling

Angels and Putti Flying with a Garland: Design for a Ceiling

Charles de La Fosse, c. 1675

Saint Michael the Archangel and Another Figure Recommending a Soul to the Virgin and Child in Heaven

Saint Michael the Archangel and Another Figure Recommending a Soul to the Virgin and Child in Heaven

Bartolomeo Biscaino, 1629–57

The miracle of St Agnes

The miracle of St Agnes

Alessandro Algardi, 1598-1654

The Coronation of the Virgin

The Coronation of the Virgin

Palma il Giovane, 1585/1594

Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Giorgio Vasari, 1511–74

Allegorical Figure of Peace

Allegorical Figure of Peace

Carlo Maratta, 1625–1713

Study for Allegory of Two Quartieri of Florence

Study for Allegory of Two Quartieri of Florence

Giorgio Vasari, 1563/65

Sheet of Satirical Studies (Amorini Riding Phalli)

Sheet of Satirical Studies (Amorini Riding Phalli)

Salvator Rosa, c. 1650s

Putti and a Young Satyr at Play

Putti and a Young Satyr at Play

Giovanni Lanfranco, 1582–1647

The First Fruits of the Earth Offered to Saturn

The First Fruits of the Earth Offered to Saturn

Giorgio Vasari, 1555–56

The Last Judgment

The Last Judgment

Giovanni Mauro della Rovere, 1613/1614

The Judgement of Paris

The Judgement of Paris

Joachim Wtewael, c. 1600