Ariadne on the Panther, or Bacchante Riding on a Lion
In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She fell madly in love with Theseus and helped him escape from the labyrinth and the Minotaur. Theseus however abandoned her on the island of Naxos. Ariadne later married Dionysus, god of wine. She is shown here reclining on a panther, holding a bunch of grapes, both of which are symbols of Dionysius. The sculpture was also called ‘Una and a Lion’ – probably named by Merton due to a coin showing Queen Victoria as Una and a Lion, which was a famous subject in Victorian times.
Auguste Clésinger, was born in France and studied under his father who took him to Rome in 1832 where he worked briefly in Bertel Thorvaldsen’s studio. For a period, he travelled in Europe before settling in Paris. His work Woman Bitten by a Serpent caused a scandal at the Salon of 1847 as the voluptuous figure was controversially cast from life, complete with cellulite, rather than representing idealised female beauty.
