Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 8) (London: Smith and Son, 1837)

114

NICHOLAS POUSSIN.

Mythological Subjects.
mentioned by Cumberland in his catalogue of the King
of Spain’s pictures at Madrid, and he concludes his notice
of it with the following emphatical commendation: It is
“ formed to captivate all beholders.”

215. Bacchanalians. The subject is composed of eleven
figures, grouped on the fore-ground of an open and rocky land-
scape. In the centre are two beautiful nymphs or bacchantes,
one of whom is seated playing on the lute, the other is recum-
bent near her, leaning on the lap of a faun, listening ; the latter
sits close to the front with his back to the spectator, and
is raising his cup to have it replenished by a sylvan attendant,
whois already engaged filling a cup held by an infant bacchanal:
two other infants are near, one of whom is terrifying the other
with a mask ; a fourth boy lies asleep on the opposite side,
where the ever-youthful Bacchus is seen recumbent amidst
vine foliage; his attention is directed to two fauns, one of
whom is dragging forward a goat; the other is cooling his
temples with the juice of the grape poured from a cup. This
group is in the shade of a cluster of trees. Engraved by
Erlinger, and in the Musee by Niquet.
3ft. 7 in. by 5st. 4 in.—C.
Valued by the Experts du Musee, 1816. . 30,000/s. 1200Z.
Now in the Louvre.

216. Bacchanalians. A repetition of the preceding picture,
with some additional figures in the distance, and several varia-
tions in the landscape, is in the collection of Lady Mildmay,
at Dogsmersfield.

3 st. 6 in. by 5 st. 6 in.—C.