Ariane in Naxos

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Bacchus discovering Ariane in Naxos is a painting by the Le Nain brothers, dating approximately 1630, that is part of the collection of French paintings in Orleans's museum of Beaux-Arts. It is a 102*152cm oil on canvass.

The painting shows a young Bacchus discovering Ariane on the island of Naxos, after she was abandoned by the Greek hero Theseus. The painting was first attributed to Louis Le Nain, yet specialists still wonder if the author may not be Mathieu Le Nain.

The idyll between Bacchus and Ariane has inspired many artists, particularly Richard Strauss who wrote the famous Opera Ariadne auf Naxos.