The Laocoon Brought to Life
Titan, The
Meeting of Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520-23.
National Gallery, London
With the Galatea, Raphael began the process of
bringing classical mythology back to life, but it is the Venetian artist
Titian (c. 1490-1576) who truly achieves this task.
In his painting, the Meeting of Bacchus and Ariadne,
painted for the nobleman Alfonso d'Este, the ancient god of wine, Bacchus,
leaps from his chariot to save Araidne who has been deserted on an island
by the Athenian hero Theseus.
Bacchus's exuberant leap causes him
to twist into a position quite reminiscent of that displayed by the
central figure in the Laocoon group. And, the god's rowdy companions, who include
frenzied nymphs and satyrs, accompany a figure wrapped in snakes who is
clearly meant to allude to the Laocoon.
We know that Titan owned a model of
the Laocoon group,
and the sculpture was to have great power over the artist, for he
repeatedly used aspects of its composition in his paintings.