Bacchus and Ariadne

A most prolific and fluent draughtsman, Bison is mainly known for his elegant pen and wash drawings, strongly influenced by the 18th century tradition of his homeland (the Tiepolo, Piazzetta, Guardi)¹.

As suggested by critics, just a minor part of his works on paper is relatable to his large production of frescoes and paintings. His drawings were usually made for their own sake, both for the enjoyment of the artist and his collectors and to form a repository of figurative ideas later evolved in painting.

The drawing under discussion here is made particularly rare and precious by the presence of colour. Two different qualities of red chalk take the place of the usual pen and nib, while the final addition of the red wash brings all the parts together, providing a sensitive and delicate chiaroscuro.

Bison dealt with the subject of Bacchus in the small painting Marriage of Bacchus and Ariadne today in the Civici Musei di Storia e d'Arte in Trieste, placed by critics in the third decade of the 19th century (fig. 1)².

Despite the different disposition of the figures, the identity of characters and attitudes suggests that our sketch is connected with the early preparatory phase for the canvas, and can be dated to c. 1830.