Bacchanalia My intention was to make paintings that were rich, sensuous, perhaps decadent, and full of color and texture. I had in mind the bacchanalia subjects of both Titian and Bellini as well as other Venetians painters such as Veronese. The stories and legends connected with Bacchus along with a general feeling of excess seemed provide the appropriate material for my painting ideas.
I recognized a Danae idea during the process of painting and changed the direction of this one. The general themes are from classical mythology and mainly connected with the god Bacchus and the rituals associated with his worship. These works are inspired not only by the subject matter itself, but also certainly by the richness and sensuality of Titian’s paintings on this theme. The Venetian school of painting has been a great influence on my work and here it is at its most direct. A bust of Rudolf II appears in some of these paintings. It serves as a compositional necessity as well as a symbolic human presence to interact with the figures. Its main symbolic reference is to this Emperor’s great love of art and his important patronage of artists at his court in Prague. His obsession with art and beauty as well as the life of the senses makes him a deserving participant in paintings devoted to Bacchus.