Anatomy of an Artwork

The Raucous Celestial Banquet that Fits in the Palm of your Hand

In this episode of Anatomy of an Artwork, immerse yourself in the heavenly details of Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael’s A Banquet of the Gods. Comprising nearly 50 elegantly posed figures, this intricate painting is a paradigm of Dutch Mannerist art. Cupid holds his signature arrow near a drunken Bacchus as Wtewael uses fine brushstrokes and vivid colors to bring this elaborate portrait to life. Wtewael's small-scale paintings remain his most prized works and this oil-on-copper composition reveals the artist’s extraordinary versatility and prowess. Explore this work and more in Sotheby’s Master Paintings Evening Sale. (30 January|New York)

All Episodes

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Why Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas Is One of the Most Important Paintings in Art History
Johannes Vermeer's 'The Milkmaid' — A Mona Lisa for the Dutch Golden Age
A Rembrandt Masterpiece’s Violent History
Rare Van Dyck Portraits Reveal Royal Children Embarking on Life-Changing Journeys
Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s Romantic Vision of the American Frontier
Albert Marquet’s Fauvist Celebration of The City of Lights
Discover the 16th Century Equivalent of Google Maps
The World's Craziest Painter's 'Mill of Rejuvenation'
René Magritte, Man Ray and the Surrealist Portrait of the Poet Edward James
A Peek Into David Hockney's Vibrant Private World
The Political and Existential Agony of Exiled Iraqi Artist Mahmoud Sabri