Once Again on the Triumph of Bacchus Engraved by Cornelis Bos, Its Sources and Reception

The Triumph of Bacchus engraved by Cornelis Bos in Antwerp in 1543 exemplifies the complex phenomenon of intericonicity generated by the circulation of artists and works in Europe during the Renaissance. Clearly related to a painting by Maarten van Heemskerck (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), it remains a subject of scholarly debate, since a later copy of the print mentions Giulio Romano instead of Heemskerck as the inventor. I will revisit the issue in the light of comparative material including hitherto neglected or even completely ignored occurrences of this composition and its constituent motifs.