Silenus and Satyr

Chapron frequently engraved light-hearted mythological scenes and this print is a comical depiction of Silenus, the companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. Chapron depicts him slumped against a tree, holding a bunch of grapes. He is served wine from a vessel by a figure whose horns suggest that he is Pan, the patron of shepherds. They are surrounded by two putti and an empty urn lies on the ground beside them. The print follows the tradition of a Papposilenus, a stock comedic characterisation of Silenus that emphasised his drunken state for plays and comedies. Statuettes of Papposilenus often emphasise his pot belly and his drunken state. In this print he is slumped against a tree, unable to move. His downturned head and heavy eyes show his inebriated state yet despite this he is leaning towards the vessel to drink more. The discarded urn on the floor indicates that he has already consumed a vast amount of alcohol. Drunken Silenus was a popular subject in 17th-century art and was depicted by Ribera, Van Dyck and Rubens.

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