Bacchus als Kind (Kopie nach)

This painting attributed to Guido Reni or his circle depicts the young Bacchus — marked as a copy after an original — reflecting the studio practice of producing multiple versions of popular compositions. Reni's Bacchus subjects were admired for their combination of classical beauty and sensuous warmth. The notation 'Kopie nach' (copy after) in the German title indicates the work was identified as a copy of a Reni original at the time of its entry into a German collection.

The child Bacchus is rendered with the idealised softness characteristic of Reni's treatment of infants and putti. Vine leaves and grapes surround the figure, the traditional attributes rendered with decorative refinement. The quality of finish, as expected in a copy, is slightly smoother and less spontaneous than Reni's autograph works.