The Symposium (Second Version)
1871-1874
Imagine the ultimate ancient Greek dinner party, but instead of just drinking, they're debating the nature of love! This is Anselm Feuerbach’s take on Plato’s 'Symposium,' where serious philosophers in heavy robes recline on the right, looking deeply contemplative. Meanwhile, a vibrant procession of figures—some barely clothed and crowned with leaves—bursts in from the left, bringing a chaotic, festive energy to the room. The central figure, draped in shimmering white and gold with a laurel crown, stands as a calm anchor between the wild celebration and the intellectual debate. Feuerbach was a German Neoclassicist obsessed with the idealized beauty of antiquity, trying to bring that grand, stage-like atmosphere into 19th-century art.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Neue Pinakothek, Munich