art history
WINE AND SPIRITS 1/3
In the ancient world, wine was far more than a beverage; it was a divine link to the sacred and the celebratory. Greek pottery and Roman mosaics frequently depicted Dionysus (or Bacchus), the god of wine, ritual madness, and ecstasy. These early depictions celebrated the harvest and the transformative power of alcohol, showing grapevines twisting across amphorae and festive banquets where wine flowed freely. Wine symbolized civilization, religious devotion, and the fluid line between human nature and divine inspiration.
“Fruit Piece with Wine Glass” 1692
Barend van der Meer
Barend van der Meer
“The Effects of Intemperance” (1663-5)
Jan Steen
Jan Steen
“Still Life with Bread and Wine” Henri Horace Roland de la Porte
“Still Life with a Wine Bottle and a Glass” Edward Le Bas (1904–1966)
“The Marriage Feast at Cana” c.1672
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
“Lot and His Daughters” Adam van Noort (1562–1641)
“A Bar at the Folies-Bergère” 1882
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Unknown
“A Young Bacchus” 1824
Martin Archer Shee
Martin Archer Shee
“Drunken Silenus supported by Satyrs” 1620
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
