''Venus, Adonis and Cupid'' is a painting created c. 1595 by the

Italian Baroque Italian Baroque (or ''Barocco'') is a stylistic period in Italian history and art that spanned from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. History The early 17th century marked a time of change for those of the Roman Catholic religion ...

artist

Annibale Carracci Annibale Carracci ( , , ; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother Agostino Carracci, Agostino and cousin Ludovico Carracci, Ludovico (with whom the Ca ...

. The painting is in the

Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. It entered the

Spanish royal collection The Spanish royal collection of art was almost entirely built up by the monarchs of the Habsburg family who ruled Spain from 1516 to 1700, and then the House of Bourbon, Bourbons (1700–1868, with a brief interruption). They included a number of ...

in 1664. The painting has three main figures, arranged in a forest landscape:

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

holding

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

who points at her and Venus looking at Adonis across from her as Adonis looks back. Adonis is accompanied by his hunting dogs as he moves the tree branches and reveals Venus. The painting is arranged diagonally, with loose and fine brushstrokes giving it a naturalistic look. The colors are muted throughout most of the piece but vivid in the figures, drawing the viewer's attention. The painting shows the influence of painters such as

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

and

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

, as well as ancient Greek sculptures. The composition is influenced strongly by

Veronese Veronese is the Italian word denoting someone or something from Verona, Italy and may refer to: * Veronese Riddle, a popular riddle in the Middle Ages * Veronese (moth), ''Veronese'' (moth), a moth genus in the family Crambidae * Monte Veronese, ...

. Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) and

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

were among the most influential artists of their time, who through their artistic styles led to the transition from

Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

to Baroque. Annibale Carracci and his brother Agostino established an academy of art called Accademia degli Incamminati, which pioneered the development of Bolognese Painting.

Mythology

The myth of Venus and Adonis was first told in

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

's ''Metamorphosis: Book X''. This is the most widely accepted version of the myth. Adonis was a handsome young man, more beautiful than even the Gods, although his creation was from an incestuous union. Venus was playing with her son Cupid in the woods and was punctured in the chest by one of his arrows. The wound was deeper than she thought, and before it healed she witnessed Adonis. She immediately fell passionately in love with him and forgot about her other lovers and her life on Olympus. She followed him and helped him with his hunting, dressing like Diana. She warned him that "bravery is unsafe when faced with the brave. Do not be foolish, beware of endangering me, and do not provoke the creatures nature has armed, lest your glory is to my great cost." When Venus left by her swans to the skies, Adonis provoked a wild boar and was killed. She fled to his aid but was too late so she turned his blood into a flower, which would bloom each year to remind her of her grief and their love.

The painting

''Venus, Adonis and Cupid'' illustrates Ovid's myth. Annibale captures the scene when the lovers first meet. The blood from Cupid's arrow can still be seen on Venus's chest. The scene eliminates the dramatic and narrative elements and focuses on the emotional ones, portrayed through gestures and eye contact. The "sensuality of the encounter is conveyed through the three dimensionality of the volumes and the gentle chiaroscuro", particularly seen in Venus. Annibale was strongly influenced by Correggio in this element, as well as the use of gestures to engage the viewer. The scene is also directly correlated with Titian's poesia, a series of mythological paintings for Felipe II, among them Venus and Adonis. The use of the three figures as well as the poetic interpretation of the myth is reminiscent of Titian's painting. Annibale crosses the realm of artistic style between realism and ideal classicalism in this painting. His earlier works, such as ''The Bean Eater'', reflect just one of Annibale's impressive range of artwork and his ability to produce realistic works. He paints genre scenes, landscapes, portraits, mythological/classical scenes, as well as caricatures and religious commissions.

Figural composition

The figures of Venus, Adonis and Cupid are extremely detailed and have a classical element, as seen previously in works by

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

and

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

. The bodies of Cupid and Venus are twisted and the entire composition has a diagonal theme. Venus and Cupid are nude, while Adonis is draped in animal skins that reflect his nature as a hunter. He has a blue drape blowing in the wind and a yellow drapery across his body and he carries a bow and quiver in his left hand. Typically in Ancient Greece, Aphrodite, or Venus, was always portrayed nude, one of the key attributes that distinguish her as the goddess of love. Other female sculptures of the time were heavily clothed. Adonis and Venus are looking at each other, increasing the emotional tension of the scene and cupid is looking at us as if inviting the viewer into the scene. His hand appears to be pointing towards Venus, possibly at the wound in her chest. Cupid is holding the arrow that pierced Venus, the wound still evident in the middle of her chest. Cupid still has his baby fat and is chubby looking, whereas Adonis has a young muscular body which is characteristic of heroic male nudes of ancient Greek sculpture. His later work on the Farnese Gallery ceiling incorporates these stylistic elements: the use of the diagonal, the full classical bodies with flowing locks of hair, and the partial nudity clad in drapery. Annibale spent many years in Rome studying Greek sculpture, and was particularly fascinated with Lacoon and his Sons and wrote to his brother about it. Venus's "voluptuous body" is drawn from Titian's ability to paint female nudes as seen in ''Venus and Adonis''. ''Venus and Adonis'' (1553) by Titian shows a nude Venus clinging to Adonis, with them directly looking at each other. Cupid is in the background, with a simple landscape and Adonis holding the dogs. Annibale also draws the idea of a landscape behind the main composition from Titian as well. In Annibale's version, Adonis pushes aside the leafy foliage to reveal Venus.

Composition

The figures are the primary focus and dominate the scene. The background is very detailed, depicting trees, leaves, a small creek, rocks and what appears to be ancient Roman ruins in the top right corner. The water along the bottom of the columns reflects the sky. The top left and right corners show openings from the forest giving more of a view as well as depth. There are two doves underneath Venus, a symbol for love. The left dove is drinking out of the creek that runs underneath them. Adonis has three hunting dogs, although the third dog is partly cut off, which illustrates that the scene is much bigger than portrayed.

Artistic style

The background is done with loose brushstrokes whereas the main figures are very classical and ideal shown through intricate details and realism. Venus' hairpiece is made up of small beads and Adonis' quiver, sandals, and clothing have specific details that aid to his character. Even the dogs' collars are significant. Something peculiar is that Cupid's wings have a little red on them, possibly the blood from Venus' chest or just Annibale's way of showing reflection. The pink drapery underneath Venus, possibly representing love because it is a derivative of red, has loose areas of color throughout it. The three primary colors are displayed in the piece: yellow, blue, and pink and are the most vibrant of the piece, all in a pastel shade. All the draperies have lose white brushes on them in order to look like reflections of the light. Annibale Carracci is probably most well known for his work on the Farnese Gallery Ceiling, which was commissioned a few years after this work. He incorporated elements from ''Venus, Adonis and Cupid'' into the ceiling including another image of Venus among other mythological tales. His use of dynamics, arrangement of the composition, the style of the bodies, eye contact and gestures are once again used to convey a deep emotional connection between the figures. Carracci also studied the works of Correggio in Parma, Veronese and

Tintoretto Jacopo Robusti (late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594), best known as Tintoretto ( ; , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized th ...

in Venice and then Rome.Bellori, The lives of Annibale & Agosino Carracci, 7-15. Veronese's ''Venus and Adonis'' (1580) depicted the scene right before Adonis dies. Adonis is lying on Venus' lap after being wounded by the boar. Cupid Holds the dogs and Venus is glancing at him instead of looking at Adonis. Both Veronese's and Titian's Venus and Adonis paintings greatly influenced Annibale's ''Venus, Adonis and Cupid'' and aided the great artist in becoming one of the great masters of Baroque painting.

Notes

References

* Bellori, Giovanni Pietro. ''The lives of Annibale & Agostino Carracci''. London: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1968 * Jimenez-Blanco, Maria Dolores, ed. ''The Prado Guide''. Madrid: Museo Nacional del Prado, January 2011. * “Metamorphoses by Ovid” under “Book X,” http://www.mythology.us/ovid_metamorphoses_book_10.htm * Robertson, Clare. The Invention of Annibale Carracci. Milan: Silvana editoriale, 2008. * Turner, Nicholas. ''From Michelangelo to Annibale Carracci: A century of Italian drawings from the Prado''. Alexandria: Art Services International, 2008. * “15th-17th Century Italian Painters,” Museo del Prado, 2012, http://www.museodelprado.es {{DEFAULTSORT:Venus Adonis And Cupid Mythological paintings by Annibale Carracci Paintings in the Museo del Prado by Italian artists Nude paintings of women category:Nude paintings of children Paintings of Venus Paintings of Cupid Birds in art Dogs in art Paintings based on Metamorphoses