Artwork
Three Bacchic Children
Three Bacchic Children is an ink print by the Baroque artist Laurent de La Hyre. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1624, *Three Bacchic Children* is an etching on laid paper by the Paris‑born artist Laurent de La Hyre (1606–1656). The print presents a lively grouping of three youths engaged in a mythic celebration, rendered in monochrome with a dense network of lines that suggest movement and foliage.
Subject & Meaning
The composition places the youngsters amid a stylized tree, their gestures evoking the revelry associated with Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Rather than portraying specific individuals, the figures function as allegorical symbols of youthful exuberance and the festive spirit of the Bacchic tradition.
Technique & Style
La Hyre employed a fine‑etched line on laid paper, allowing for a richly textured surface where intersecting strokes create both the figures and the tangled vegetation. The handling reflects the restrained elegance of the Parisian Atticist movement, emphasizing clarity of form and balanced composition over dramatic chiaroscuro.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to the early period of La Hyre’s career, when he was establishing his reputation as a leading exponent of neoclassical classicism in France. Though the original print’s ownership record is limited, it has been cited in several 19th‑century catalogues of French Baroque prints, confirming its attribution to the artist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Laurent de La Hyre (French pronunciation: ; 27 February 1606 – 28 December 1656) was a French Baroque painter, born in Paris. He was a leading exponent of the neoclassical style of Parisian Atticism.
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