Bust of Bacchus

Josiah Wedgwood and Sons British

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 512

This monumental bust of Bacchus demonstrates Wedgwood’s exceptional skills in copying antique forms and modernizing them by using novel ceramic bodies such as black basalt. Probably intended to decorate a library, the bust is a copy of an ancient marble sculpture purchased by the earl of Shelburne in 1772. Once considered Emperor Hadrian’s lover Antinous, the bust is now thought to represent the ancient Roman god of wine and intoxication.

Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Bust of Bacchus, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons (British, Etruria, Staffordshire, 1759–present), Black basaltware, British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.