The Feast of Bacchus

painting by Diego Velázquez

Also known as: “Los borrachos”, “The Triumph of Bacchus”

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July 14, 2026

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The painting "The Feast of Bacchus" by Diego Velázquez depicts the Roman god Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, who is the Greek god of wine, fertility, and ecstasy. Velázquez, a prominent Spanish Baroque artist and court painter to King Philip IV, created this work, though it is not as widely discussed as his other masterpieces like "Las Meninas" or "The Surrender of Breda". The Bacchanalia, festivals honoring Bacchus, were originally secret rites that eventually became public and uncontrolled, leading to their ban in Rome in 186 BCE.1234567

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Diego Velázquez
Court painter in Madrid
Velázquez’s painting of Bacchus, The Feast of Bacchus (1628–29; also known as Los borrachos), seems to have been inspired by Titian and Rubens, but his realistic approach to the subject is characteristically Spanish and one that Velázquez was to preserve throughout his life.
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Velázquez’s painting of Bacchus, The Feast of Bacchus (1628–29; also known as Los borrachos), seems to have been inspired by Titian and Rubens, but his realistic approach to the subject is characteristically Spanish and one that Velázquez was to preserve throughout his life.
Read More