Offered by La Crédence
Very large oil on canvas (165 x 138) depicting "The Drunkenness of Bacchus." Signed lower right "A. AUDENAERT," located in Saint-Nikolaas (a town in the Pas-de-Calais region), or perhaps on Saint Nicholas Day (December 6), with the date 1914 added alongside. Very little is known about this artist, who was likely trained at the Saint-Luc Academy in Ghent, except that he painted the masterpiece of his artistic career here, and that he died at the venerable age (for the time) of 111 years!! In this work, we see Bacchus depicted as unashamedly drunk after a night of wandering and drinking, likely as part of a celebration held in his honor (the flowers on the staircase). In the background is an imaginary architectural setting that appears to be Roman. The contrast between our hero’s state of intoxication and neatness and the immaculate whiteness of the marble is striking. Original canvas; two small restorations at the bottom. Custom-made frame in faux marble with gilding. 1.65 m x 1.38 m with the frame.
