Lot 1083 Dα

Johann Carl Loth, son of the painter Ulrich Loth, played a crucial role in the dissemination of the Venetian Baroque style throughout Southern Germany. He was born in Munich but travelled to Rome and Venice in the mid-17th century. He settled in the latter city and worked there until his death. His pupils included Johann Michael Rottmayr and numerous other German artists who carried out commissions in South Germany on his behalf.
This work depicts the sleeping god Bacchus as a half-figure, and can be dated to between 1670 and 1675. It displays pronounced Chiaroscuro, especially in the torso. Loth adopted this technique from the proponents of Tenebrism, such as Giambattista Langetti. The lighting and composition of this work are comparable to Loth's slightly earlier piece “Mercury and Argus” in the National Gallery in London.