Bronze bas-relief Bacchanalia was created in the 19th century. Its author is Claude François Michel, a French artist, known under the name of Clodion. Researchers don’t know exactly who casted bronze for this bas-relief. Most likely, the artist himself made the primary sculpture (of plaster or wax), having worked it down to the smallest detail — and then bronzers made bronze casting. Artists would often turn to foundry masters, it was a common practice. It is important that even if the master did not cast the sculpture himself, he controlled the casting process, made necessary changes and patinated it.

In the 18th century Pompeii and Herculaneum excited the minds of many people: archeologists would carry out excavations and find antique paintings and sculptures. Clodion kept prints of Pompeii and Herculaneum paintings in his personal library.

The collection of the Yaroslavl Museum of Fine Arts has two more bronze high reliefs of Clodion: a head of a satyr and a head of a nymph. Bas-reliefs and high reliefs would be bought by noblemen for their mansions: they would hang them on the walls, put them in panels and niches. Among Clodion’s wealthy customers were Larochefoucault and Catherine II.