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The Worship of Bacchus; or, the Drinking Customs of Society

2010 [original 1864]
Not on view
This print reproduces a large 1860–62 painting by Cruikshank, created as a visual sermon against alcoholism. Bacchus, Silenus and a Bacchante anchor the composition, with riotous crowds around them affected by drink. Widows and orphans, whose husbands and fathers have succumbed to alcohol, appear at center, with foreground vignettes demonstrating alcohol's ubiquity in middle class society. A religious service, social gathering, marriage feast, christening, birthday party, and funeral all involve its consumption.

Cruikshank’s related painting was displayed in a gallery next to the Lyceum Theatre in London in 1862, after which it toured the country under the sponsorship of the National Temperance League. The artist collaborated with Charles Mottram on the engraving and this modern re-strike was issued to coincide with "Rude Britannia: British Comic Art," a 2010 exhibition at Tate Britain which included the painting.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Worship of Bacchus; or, the Drinking Customs of Society
  • Artist: George Cruikshank (British, London 1792–1878 London)
  • Artist: Charles Henry Mottram (British, 1807–1876 London)
  • Publisher: National Temperance Publications Department (London)
  • Printer: Thomas Ross Limited (Binfield, England)
  • Date: 2010 [original 1864]
  • Medium: Steel engraving; modern restrike
  • Dimensions: plate: 26 5/8 x 42 5/16 in. (67.6 x 107.4 cm)
    frame: 35 1/16 x 51 15/16 in. (89 x 132 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Matthew and Susan Gurewitsch, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.2
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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