Wine consumption has been part of man’s history since the most ancient times; for its festive and and unifying symbolic power, it has always been considered one of the most precious gifts, as it came from the gods. As powerful as a medicine which can soothe all worries and grant temporary oblivion, it is consumed in an almost religious ritual. A wonderful drink with a seductive color, it has the ability to restore from daily of life and to make man feel similar to a god. However, as any powerful medicine, it is never to be abused: as it allows to reach the ecstasy of a mystical union, but at the same time it can destroy those unable to control its inebriating side effects.


The history of the vine and wine appears to be an important reference point to understand the Greek and Roman mythology, the Christian tradition or the Muslim culture, through the works of great masters such as Mantegna and Rubens, Dürer or Lucas von Leyden.
The majority of the engravings are about Dionysus or Bacchus, in Greek and Roman mythology, the creator of wine. Originally the God of labor, fertility and order, Dionysus is worshipped as a deity connected to drunkenness, madness, and to the orgiastic cult of the bacchanalia. He combines demonic and angelic traits, destructive and regenerative at once: at times portrayed as fat and lascivious, at other times as a young athlete; Bacchus can be surrounded by Faunswhich are hungry for Eros and furious bacchantes; in rituals dedicated to him, animals are mauled, and their flesh is devoured raw yet, thanks to him life is joyously regenerated.


At the same time even his gift to men, wine, is both divine nectar and evil liquor, it can console from the most excruciating pains or unleash the darkest passions, alienate from the world or lead to fully savor life. In this way, we can see Bacchus, inebriated by the created, just like any other mortal.