The Triumph of Dionysos : Convivial Processions, From Antiquity to the Present Day

Dionysos carried the blessing of wine to the whole world, and his triumphant return from India became a popular subject for the arts of Greece and Rome in many media. It became associated with Alexander the Great’s comparable victories and later served as a message of immortality for any mortal prince. The iconography survived the ancient world into Renaissance and neo-Classical arts, and may even have contributed to the practices of modern circus parades with their wild animals, maenad-snake-charmers and clown-satyrs: an unusual, indeed unique, survival. Table of Contents Preface THE DIONYSIAC PROCESSION IN EARLY GREECE THE EGYPTIAN CONNECTION: STAGING THE TRIUMPH DIONYSOS AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN THE EAST THE PROCESSION IN HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN ART AND LIFE THE ORIENTAL SUCCESSION THE RENAISSANCE THE MODERN WORLD Preface 5 THE DIONYSIAC PROCESSION IN EARLY GREECE 7 Figure 1: East Greek black figure vase from Karnak, Egypt. Oxford, Ashmolean Museum 1924.264. 8 Figure 2: Attic black figure vase. London, British Museum B79. 8 Figure 3: Relief at Karnak, Egypt. 12 Figure 4: Attic black figure vase. Munich 2044. 13 THE EGYPTIAN CONNECTION: STAGING THE TRIUMPH 14 DIONYSOS AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN THE EAST 18 Figure 5: Attic red figure vase. Paris, Louvre MNB 1036. 19 Figure 6: Boeotian red figure vase, Mainz. 20 Figure 7: Attic red figure vase. London, British Museum E 695. 21 THE PROCESSION IN HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN ART AND LIFE 23 Figure 8: Bronze group by Arthur Strasser. Vienna. 24 Figure 9: Bronze sestertius of Titus. 25 Figure 10: Cameo. Medici Collection, Florence. 26 Figure 11: Cameo. Medici Collection, Florence. 27 Figure 12: Glass cameo. London, Walters no. 3856. 27 Figure 13: Cameo. Paris, Cab.Med., Chab. 61. 28 Abbreviations 82 Figure 14: Cameo, Naples, Mus.Naz. 29 Figure 15: Cameo, London, Walters no. 3488. 29 Figure 16: Sarcophagus. Once Rome, Palazzo Mattei. 34 Figure 17: Sarcophagus. Frankfurt, Liebighaus. 34 Figure 18:Sarcophagus. Rome, Conservatori. 35 Figure 19: Sarcophagus. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 1972.650. 36 Figure 20: Sarcophagus. Woburn Abbey. 38 Figure 21: Silver handle. New York, Met.Mus. 39 Figure 22: Silver bowl. Washington, Dumbarton Oaks. 39 Figure 23: Mosaic. Sousse, House of Virgil. 41 Figure 24: Mosaic. Cyprus, Nea Paphos, House of Dionysos. 42 Figure 25: Ivory box. Vienna, Kunsthist.Mus. X 41. 43 Figure 26: Ivory box. New York, Met.Mus. 44 Figure 27: Textile. St. Petersburg, Hermitage. 45 Figure 28: Textile. London Market. 46 Figure 29: Ivory box. The Veroli Casket. London, V&A. 47 THE ORIENTAL SUCCESSION 49 Figure 30: Gold plaque. Kabul Museum. 50 Figure 31: Relief. Market. 50 Figure 32: Gilt silver dish. London, British Museum, WA 124086. 51 Figure 33: Gilt silver dish. Washington, Freer Gallery, 64.10. 51 THE RENAISSANCE 54 Figure 34: Drawing from Hypnerotomachia. 55 Figure 35: Painting by Perina del Vaga, Genoa. 56 Figure 36: Bronze medal. New York, Met.Mus., 31.33.32. 56 Figure 37: Florence, Medici Palace 58 Figure 38: Medallion in Medici Palace, Florence. 59 Figure 39: a. David by Michelangelo, Florence.b. Detail of Goliath’s helmet 60 Figure 40: Snuff box. London, V&A Museum, 448-2008 61 Figure 41: Cameo. D. Content Collection. 61 Figure 42: Impression of sard intaglio. Baltimore, Walters Art Museum 42.1176. 62 Figure 43: Painting by Titian. London, Nat. Gallery. 62 Figure 44: Painting by Garofalo. Dresden, Gallery. 63 Figure 45: Painting by Carracci. Rome, Farnese Gallery. 64 Figure 46: Drawing by Penni. British Museum. 64 Figure 47: Painting by van Heemskeerk. Vienna, Kunsthist. Mus. 65 Figure 48: Shell cameo. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 99.119. 66 Figure 49: Painting by Rubens. Rotterdam. Mus. Boymans-van Beuningen. 66 Figure 50: Painting by Mantegna. London, The Queen’s Collection. 67 Figure 51: Panel by Montorsoli. Genoa. 68 Figure 52: Gilt automaton by Hans Schottheim. Vienna, Kunsthist. Mus. 69 THE MODERN WORLD 70 Figure 53: Drawing of a gem by Lorenz Natter. 71 Figure 54: Silver vase by Paul Storr. London, V&A. 72 Figure 55: Plaque by Wedgwood. 73 Figure 57: Mirror top. Market. 74 Figure 56: Plate by Wedgwood. 74 Figure 58: Print design by Salvador Dali, 1953. 76 Figure 59: Drawing, 1890. New Orleans. 79 Figure 60: Poster, 2013. New Orleans. 80 Figure 61: Gifford’s Circus, 2013, Oxfordshire. 80 Dionysos carried the blessing of wine to the whole world, and his triumphant return from India became a popular subject for the arts of Greece and Rome in many media. It became associated with Alexander the Great's comparable victories and later served as a message of immortality for any mortal prince. The iconography survived the ancient world into Renaissance and neo-Classical arts, and may even have contributed to the practices of modern circus parades with their wild animals, maenad-snake-charmers and clown-satyrs: an unusual, indeed unique, survival. Book jacket