The Indian Triumph of Dionysus

The Indian Triumph of Dionysus was created by an unknown artist in the late 2nd century around 190 A.D. The Thasian marble sculpture is beautifully displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts with measurements of 34 1/2 x 85 3/4 x 9 1/2. Due to minimal damage, the structure required no restoration. There are slight cracks and some of the figures are missing limbs. Apart from minor cosmetic damage, the intricate figures are still highly realistic and the message of the artist still remains visible. The sculpture is designed on three sides (front and 2 sides) leaving the back available to put against a wall. 3 dimensional sarcophagus depicts the Roman God Dionysus, God of wine and dramatic festivals, triumphantly returning from his voyage to India. With high-relief carving and astonishing realism, the artist portrays cheery followers of Dionysus celebrating his successful return from the east.

Before imposing any defining interpretations or applying historical and cultural background, the baroque and refined figures captured my attention. There are two scenes narrated on parallel chronicles. There is a parade scene on the base and a chronological narrative following throughout the lid. There are approximately 45 individual figures including, the griffins on the sides and animals depicted throughout the scenes. The artist afforded detailed attention to all characters, presenting them in realistic proportions between limbs, torso, and head. The scale proportions are distorted in favor of the humans to utilize the small space to its fullest capacity. The tusked adult elephants are significantly shorter than the surrounding human figures to include an addition of 6 more figures. The artist projects individual detail on the figures through various natural stances, muscular definition, and evolving facial expressions. Most of the figures are either nude or semi-nude. They are highly defined by accompanied figures carved in shallower relief behind them. The lid frieze demonstrates