Antique Italian Neoclassical Plaster Bas-Relief – Dance of the Maenads

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Antique Italian Plaster Bas-Relief – Dance of the Maenads


Dimensions: 36.75” W x 22” H x 2” D

Material: Hand-finished … Read more Antique Italian Plaster Bas-Relief – Dance of the Maenads


Dimensions: 36.75” W x 22” H x 2” D

Material: Hand-finished plaster

Condition: Used – wear consistent with age, including cracks, chips, discoloration, and surface imperfections. Please review photos carefully. A chipped area is present on the back lower-right corner, with an adjacent section that is loose.


This antique Italian bas-relief sculpture is a detailed plaster reproduction of The Dance of the Maenads, a Roman interpretation of a Greek original from the 5th century BCE. The relief captures a Bacchic procession of Maenads—mythical female followers of Dionysus (or Bacchus), the god of wine, revelry, and ecstasy.


The composition portrays the three Charites or Graces—Aglaïa (Brightness), Euphrosyne (Joy), and Thalia (Bloom)—daughters of Zeus, shown in a frenzied dance, draped in flowing garments and surrounded by symbols of Dionysian rites, including dismembered animals. This dynamic and emotionally charged piece echoes the original works attributed to the Greek sculptor Callimachus.


The original marble relief is held in the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. This hand-finished plaster version honors the ancient artistry and is an evocative example of classical myth interpreted through Roman eyes. See less