Artwork
Bacchanalian Dance
Bacchanalian Dance is a print by the Baroque artist Richard Cooper. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Bacchanalian Dance is a 1740 print on paper, created by Richard Cooper (II) after a work by Nicolas Poussin. It captures a vibrant, wooded scene of revelers in dynamic motion.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a lively Bacchanalian celebration, with figures in flowing robes engaged in dance and merriment, conveying a sense of joyful abandon and festive energy.
Technique & Style
The composition employs dynamic poses, interplay of light and shadow, and textured depth, characteristic of the Baroque style's emphasis on movement and visual richness.
History & Provenance
Produced in 1740 by Richard Cooper (II), the print is an interpretation of an original by Nicolas Poussin, highlighting 18th-century artistic engagement with earlier masters.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Cooper carried a tiny paintbox in his coat pocket everywhere he walked. He’d stop on any hillside, ruin wall or tavern step to dash off a scrap of sky, a crumbling arch, the way light turns wet stone silver.…
