A Young Man Drinking
- Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
- Date: 1655-60
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "A Young Man Drinking" by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Painted in the Spanish south around 1655-60, this oil on canvas work stands out for its Genrepainting style, which is relatively rare in Murillo's body of work.
The subject is a young man who appears to be drinking wine with dignity and care. He looks at us with a conspiratorial gaze, but the possessive way he guards the bottle suggests that he might keep it all to himself. The vine leaves garlanding his head are a symbol associated with Bacchus, the mischievous god of wine.
The young man's expression is perhaps what makes this painting enigmatic. He may be a server at a tavern, but the reference to Bacchus explains his mischievous look. The composition, with a life-size figure leaning on a stone ledge, finds parallels in some of Murillo's other works.
Despite being accepted as a Murillo for centuries, the attribution was questioned mid-last century and the painting was thought to be by an eighteenth-century imitator. However, recent research and conservation treatment have confirmed it is indeed a genuine Murillo work, making this painting an exciting find in the art world.
See it in person
A Young Man Drinking hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
