Bacchus

Bacchus is portrayed with a muscular, twisting physique and a crown of vine leaves, lifting a shallow drinking bowl toward the sky. Behind him, a young satyr clutches a large cluster of grapes, while the scene is framed by an oval border decorated with contemporary 16th-century wine glasses and satyr masks. The engraving showcases the intricate line work and swelling strokes characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist style.

This work belongs to a series illustrating the proverb 'Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus' (Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes), reflecting the Neoplatonic interest in how physical elements sustain the passions. In the Western esoteric tradition, Bacchus represents the 'divine frenzy' (furor) described by Marsilio Ficino as a necessary state for spiritual liberation and poetic inspiration.