Title

Bacchus on a Barrel

Author

Rubens, Peter Paul [attributed to]

Siegen, 1577 - Antwerp, 1640

Typology

School

Century

Dimensions

Technique

Support

Observations

Bacchus on a Barrel is an oil on canvas attributed to Peter Paul Rubens or his workshop. This work depicts Bacchus, the god of wine, accompanied by a woman pouring wine into his cup, as well as several children and mythological figures. The present version of the composition could correspond to the one first mentioned in Spain in the posthumous 1655 inventory of the Marquis de Leganés's collection, a significant patron during the Baroque period. Identified with inventory number 1233, it is described as a painting by Rubens. However, the documents do not specify the exact acquisition date of the painting in the collection, leaving uncertainties about its provenance and attribution. The description of the work closely resembles several similar compositions by Rubens, including those preserved in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg (inv. 467), the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and the Dresden Picture Gallery. The painting could, however, be a replica produced in his workshop, a common practice to meet the growing demand from major collectors of the time. The version owned by the Marquis de Leganés could possibly have been commissioned to rival other patrons such as the Marquis de Caracena, whose very similar, better-documented version was valued at a much higher price. After the death of the Marquis de Leganés, the painting no longer appears in the documented inventories of his collection. It would seem that the painting was sold in the mid-19th century to a private collector, subsequently passing through generations.

A version of the painting reappeared in the Adanero collection in Madrid at the beginning of the 20^th century. At that time, it was part of the collection of Don Álvaro María de Ulloa y Fernández-Durán, 11^th Count of Adanero, whose private residence and art collection were located on Calle Padilla 54. The work is mentioned in a 1905 inventory, where it is described as a Flemish painting depicting Bacchus, attributed to the Rubens school, in good condition. The lack of precise details in the family inventories makes it challenging to determine whether this painting previously belonged to the family and originated from the inheritance of Gonzalo de Ulloa, the count's grandfather. During the Spanish Civil War, many works from the Adanero collection were seized by the Junta del Tesoro Artístico. These assets were later returned to Don Álvaro María de Ulloa, albeit unevenly. Some paintings are said to have retained labels on the reverse, indicating the seizures and restitutions carried out by the heritage protection authorities. In total, 590 works were returned to the count, though their exact origin remains sometimes uncertain. The current location of Bacchus on a Barrel remains unknown.

 Inventario general de los bienes quedados por fallecimiento del Excmo. Señor Don José Maria de Ulloa y Ortega, Marqués de Castro-Serna, ocurrido en la tarde del día dos de Enero de mil novecientos cinco :

1770 Otro cuadro de la Escuela flamenca, cuyo asunto es «Baco», ejecutado en lienzo, que mide un metro ochenta centímetros por uno ochenta y siete, en buen estado de conservación, señalado con el número ochocientos sesenta, Sala veintitrés, estilo de Rubens, tasado en mil pesetas. 1.000. [Álvaro de Ulloa]

[Archivo Histórico de Protocolos de Madrid, tomo 43188, folios 4003v.-4197v.]

Related links

Bibliography

• P. Martínez Plaza and C. Pérez-Seoane Mazzuchelli (2021): "La colección Adanero - Castro Serna en Madrid. De la Restauración a la Guerra Civil", LOCVS AMŒNVS, vol. 19, p. 215, il. 1770.
• A. McGrath, e.a. (eds) (2016): Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, vol. XI, nº 1, Centrum Rubenianum, Antwerp, pp. 250-251, il. 16.
• J. J. Pérez Preciado (2010): El Marqués de Leganés y las artes, vol. 2, Doctoral Thesis, Universidad Compultense de Madrid, Madrid, pp. 783-784, il. 1233.
• A. Vergara (1999): Rubens and his Spanish Patrons, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, p. 174.

Locations

• Colección Adanero, Madrid (Spain)