The Wine Press

Here, Silenus sits thoughtfully on a throne, wine cup in hand, accompanied by harvesters who carry and transfer grapes. The composition was invented by renowned painter Raphael, with whom engraver Marcantonio Raimondi had a long-standing collaborative relationship. The powerful poses of Silenus, the crouching man, and the statuesque woman can be traced to relief-carved Roman sarcophagi (stone coffins) probably known to Raphael. The print may record part of a now-lost painted bacchanalia image made by Raphael for the Duke of Ferrara’s palace in Italy. Bacchic subject matter showed the duke to be a cultured man who also gave a good party.