Why it matters
Bacchus leaps from his chariot drawn by two cheetahs towards Ariadne, abandoned on the island of Naxos while Theseus's ship sails away. Considered one of Titian's greatest works, it was painted for a private room of Duke Alfonso I d'Este in Ferrara.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1520–1523.
- The commission originally went to Raphael, who died in 1520.
- The cheetahs were probably modelled on animals in the duke's menagerie.
- Two other paintings from the cycle are in the Prado.
Based on the Wikipedia article Bacchus and Ariadne (CC BY-SA 4.0).
