Modern · Cleveland Museum of Art · 1943.384
Bacchanale
Malvina Hoffman, 1917
Cleveland Museum of Art · In memory of Julia K. Dalton by her nephews, George S. Kendrick and Harry D. Kendrick · Public domain
- Artist
- Malvina Hoffman
- Date
- 1917
- Medium
- bronze, copper, brass
- Dimensions
- without base: 172.7 x 137.2 cm (68 x 54 in.)
- Era
- Modern
Why it matters
While visiting London, sculptor Malvina Hoffman was electrified by a dance performance featuring Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Mordkin, two highly acclaimed Russian ballet stars. Together the dancers presented a bacchanale, a work inspired by the legendary followers of Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of wine. In this uninhibited and erotically charged piece, both dancers cavorted on stage, their movements accented by grasped veils of gauze. Hoffman’s Bacchanale is her vibrant interpretation of the performance, capturing a fleeting moment in permanent form.