Bacchus and Ariadne

Tate Gallery, London, the UK.

Board, oil.

Despite the innovative and semi-abstract style of painting, Frank Auerbach relied on classical art and famous works of old masters. The painting “Bacchus and Ariadne” was created based on the plot of the same work by Titian, but the artist rethought it in a completely new way. Layers of coloured spots and lines that seem chaotic, upon careful examination, have generalized and expressively enhanced features of the familiar work; they are as expressive and dynamic as those of the masters of the late Renaissance. Instead of creating a copy or simply repainting the classical work in a new manner, Frank Auerbach entered into a dialogue with the great master, proving that art knows no limitations in time or ways of its expression.