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BACCHUS AND ARIADNE- TITIAN (You there- Aquilo) 

Whether or not you believe in love at first sight, Titian masterfully captures the completely captivating and transfixed gaze between the classical lovers, Bacchus and Ariadne. This was the first painting that I ever studied in my history of art lessons at school, so perhaps is why I feel such a personal attachment to it, but I think it is the inclusion of a classical influence, the venetian use of colour, and the compositional jigsaw that Titian constructs which really attracted me to it. Maybe being a 16 year old hoping to fall hopelessly in love during the vigil that was to be sixth form also caught my eye- the moment between Bacchus and Ariadne being a 16th century catching eyes across the tube, a stolen glance across a gallery- how romantic/unrealistic.

Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos, and helped Theseus to defeat the half man, half beast monster that was the minotaur. The minotaur lived in a labyrinth, and each year was fed 7 athenian boys and 7 athenian girls. Theseus was one of these to be selected and travelled with the intention of killing the beast. Ariadne gave Theseus string, so that he could find his way out of the labyrinth if he was successful. Indeed, the victory was his & Ariadne and Theseus fell in love with each other. Alas, shortly after, Theseus packed up ship & left her on the island of Naxos. We can see his boat sailing off in the distance, and is so far away. We feel for her, yet Bacchus sees her and falls for her instantly. Bacchus was the god of wine and poetry, and so unsurprisingly his crew in the back are all completely hammered, for want of a better word. 

There's an obvious split in the composition amidst an obvious join between the two figures, which is what makes it such an interesting painting. The composition divides into two triangular sections; the bacchants that follow behind Bacchus create a descending divide, that makes the triangular separation. The two sections are separated into Dionysian and Apollonian- the side with Ariadne is Apollonian- calm, sedate, whereas as the name suggests, Bacchus' Dionysian section is a crowded composition with the inebriated figures overlapping each other, in dynamic poses. The man tangled by the snakes resembles a sprinting athlete, whilst Bacchus himself is reminiscent of Myron's Discobulos, again carrying through the theme of classicism, as Titian creates movement, but also stillness as Bacchus crosses between his realm and that of Ariadne's- this reminded me of the effect of falling in love; it allows you to remain who you are, but also you become completely vulnerable when you reveal how you feel; crossing over into the unknown.

As Titian was a Venetian artist, a tradition of using oil paint so that it created a rich, glazed effect came with the territory and an intense vibrancy, which is what makes this painting so attractive to a first time viewer. It creates atmosphere, and for the Duke of Ferrara who commissioned it purely to entertain his guests, and show off his knowledge of myth, you can imagine the impact it would have had. 

The song that I have chosen that I think best represents this is by a small British band, Aquilo and is called 'You There'. Why I think the song really works with this painting, is that the lyric that is revisited throughout is 'oh you there, you're better off here'. Bacchus really looks like he wants to be with Ariadne, he looks intently at her, everything about his body is thrusting forward with an intense and real energy. Aquilo through their soft melancholy, building sound, say to whoever 'you' is, that they are better off with whoever the voice is supposed to be of the song, and Bacchus is moving over to Ariadne as if to say this to her, she's better off with him, but also that he's better off with her, which the viewer can clearly see through the intensity of their gaze and pose. 

This painting for me is really about connections and divisions, and the links between the two. The connection between Bacchus and Ariadne is undeniably palpable, it almost seems like the bright cloud in the back round is a physical reaction to their love for each other. If you live in England, it is located in The National Gallery in London, and I implore you to go and see it if you can- it's all well and good reading about art, but you have to see it to really understand what the artist wanted to say. I have my own personal attachment to this painting for my own personal reasons. What will make this painting really, really attractive to you, is if you go and see it in real life. You won't just see it, you'll feel something real about it.