The Intoxication of Wine
by CLODION, Terracotta, 58 x 43 x 29 cm
Although Clodion executed commissions for large-scale works, he had his greatest success with his terracottas for private collectors. The Intoxication of Wine is one of his finest in this genre. Racing into the arms of a satyr, a bacchante raises a cup to pour wine into his open mouth. Clodion did not invent the genre of terracotta nymphs and satyrs, but he perfected it. The pose of the nymph became part of the repertoire that Clodion turned to, varying it slightly, throughout his career.