Drunken Bacchus Helped on his Way

Rubens very rarely depicted the god Dionysus in person. The work by Suyderhoef, based on a lost painting by Rubens, shows the god of wine as a drunk young man. He is surrounded by an entourage of four revellers, two of whom must support him. In addition to the entertaining quality of the work, the consequences of excessive wine consumption are also addressed. The way that Dionysus is supported is clearly reminiscent of Drunken Silenus.