Bacchus and Ariadne

Willem van Mieris trained as an artist in the studio of his father, Frans van Mieris, and his early works follow his father's subjects and enamel-like technique. Later in his career, Willem turned increasingly to themes drawn from Classical and Renaissance literature. In this painting, van Mieris depicts Bacchus, the god of wine, and the princess Ariadne seated together on a rock, surrounded by putti, satyrs, and nymphs. According to myth, Bacchus discovered the abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos after her lover, Theseus, had deserted her — and instantly fell in love. Eventually the two married, and as a sign of his devotion, Bacchus transformed her crown into the constellation known as Corona Borealis.

This painting passed through several important and royal collections, including that of Prince Frederick Augustus, the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover. The prince had a distinguished military career and won several notable victories during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition. The painting later entered the collection of the wealthy haberdasher Wynne Ellis, who purchased Ponsbourne Park in 1836. His extensive art collection was recorded by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and much of it was ultimately gifted to the National Gallery, London—forty-four of those works remain in the museum’s collection today. The painting then resurfaced in Paris in the collection of Meijer Coster, proprietor of Royal Coster Diamonds, the storied diamond-cutting firm that faceted many royal jewels, including the Koh-i-Noor (for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s crown) and the Dresden Green Diamond (Dresden Castle).