Cupid, the childlike God of Love, has stolen a honey comb and is now being tormented by a swarm of bees. Plaintively seeking help he turns to his mother, Venus. She winks at the viewer, who like her is aware of the meaning of it all, which is not difficult
Cupid, the childlike God of Love, has stolen a honey comb and is now being tormented by a swarm of bees. Plaintively seeking help he turns to his mother, Venus. She winks at the viewer, who like her is aware of the meaning of it all, which is not difficult to guess - and if not it is heralded by the last line of the distich: the joys of love are brief and transient like licking honey, and often cause prolonged pain, like a bee's sting. [...]
[...] on her forehead the band around the veil bears the inscription 'ES IST ALS', and those with good knowledge of the bible will recognize the opening lament of Solomon 'Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!'. (Book of Ecclesiastes 1,2; I am grateful to Joshua Waterman, Princeton for pointing this out).
[Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007, No. 112]
[Translation, cda 2015]
- Attribution
- Lucas Cranach the Elder
Attribution
| Lucas Cranach the Elder | [Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007, No. 112] |
- Production date
- 1529
Production date
| 1529 | [dated] |
- Dimensions
- Dimensions of support: 38.1 × 23.5 cm
Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 38.1 × 23.5 cm
[The National Gallery, London, revised 2019]
38.7 x 25.2 cm
[Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007, No. 112]
- Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia at the bottom right: serpent with elevated wings, facing left and date '1529'
Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia at the bottom right: serpent with elevated wings, facing left and date '1529'
[Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007, No. 112]
- Inscriptions and Labels
- centre left: 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO
FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPIDE FIXIT APIS
SIC ETIAM NOBIS BREVIS ET PERITVRA …Inscriptions and Labels
Inscriptions, Badges:
- centre left:
'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO
FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPIDE FIXIT APIS
SIC ETIAM NOBIS BREVIS ET PERITVRA VOLV[P]TAS
QVAM PETIMVS TRISTI MIXTA DOLORE NOCET'
On the frontlet of Venus:
'ES IST ALS'
[Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007, No. 112]
- Owner
- The National Gallery, London
- Repository
- The National Gallery, London
- Location
- London
- CDA ID
- PRIVATE_NONE-P117
- FR (1978) Nr.
- FR246B
- Persistent Link
- https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P117/
- centre left: 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO
