Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief

Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief

Title

Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief

[Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Life-size, the nude Goddess Venus presents herself to the viewer on a narrow strip of ground against a black background. A transparent veil emphasizes her nakedness rather than concealing it. Her weight is supported on her left leg. Turned slightly to one side she pays attention to the little Cupid …

Life-size, the nude Goddess Venus presents herself to the viewer on a narrow strip of ground against a black background. A transparent veil emphasizes her nakedness rather than concealing it. Her weight is supported on her left leg. Turned slightly to one side she pays attention to the little Cupid on her left. She looks down to him and appears to point at him with two fingers. Cupid still holds the honeycomb in his right hand and with the left hand he attempts to defend himself against the attacking bees. Seeking assistance he looks at his mother.

[Görres, cda 2012]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Production date
after 1537

Production date

after 1537

[Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 174 x 66.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 174 x 66.5 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 188 x 80.5 cm

  • [Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39- 40]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia left of centre: winged serpent

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia left of centre: winged serpent

Inscriptions and Labels
  • top left in dark golden-yellow Roman capitals: 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CUPIDO
    FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPIDE FIXIT APIS.
    SIC …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • top left in dark golden-yellow Roman capitals:

  • 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CUPIDO

  • FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPIDE FIXIT APIS.

  • SIC ETIAM NOBIS ET PERITVRA VOLVPTAS

  • QVAM PETIMVS TRISTI MIXTA DOLORE NOCET.'

  • [Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Owner
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
Repository
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
Location
Otterlo
CDA ID
NL_KMMO_KM110-841
FR (1978) Nr.
FR396
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_KMMO_KM110-841/

Provenance

  • Fürstlich-liechtensteinische Bildergalerie
  • 1920 art dealer Glückselig, Vienna
  • 1921 art dealer D. Komter, Amsterdam
  • in the collection of Mrs Kröller, Otterlo [1]
  • Mühlmann duty station (Dienststelle), The Hague, Nov. 1940 (National Socialist Duty Station (Nationalsozialistische Dienststelle)) [bought by Göring from Mühlmann] [1]
  • whereabouts before 1945: part of the collection in Linz [1]
  • after 1945 returned to the Kröller-Müller Museum

[1]Göring Collection, DHM database:
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/goering/dhm_goering.php?seite=5&fld_0=RMG00487

[Cat. Otterlo 1969, 39-40]

Exhibitions

  • The Hague, No. 81

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Sandner, Heydenreich, Smith-Contini 2015 133, 136, Fn. 67 Fig. 5b
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich, Ingo Sandner, Helen Smith-Contini
TitleVeränderungen beim Unterzeichnen in Cranachs Werkstatt und die Arbeitsweise von Sohn Lucas
Publicationin Elke A. Werner, Anne Eusterschulte, Gunnar Heydenreich, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere und die Reformation der Bilder
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/5215/6337/7366/Heydenreich_Sandner_Smith-Contini_2015_-_Unterzeichnung.pdf
Pages128-141
Show Literature
Hermann-Fiore 2010 109
AuthorKristina Hermann-Fiore
TitleVenere e Cupido che ruba il favo die miele. Un grande dipinto di Lucas Cranach in Galleria Borghese; Venus with Cupid the Honey Thief. A Great Painting by Lucas Cranach in the Borghese Gallery
Publicationin Anna Coliva, Bernhard Aikema, eds., Cranach l'altro rinascimento, a different Renaissance, Exhib. Cat. Rome
Place of PublicationMilan
Year of Publication2010
Pages98 - 113
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 396
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Otterlo 1969 39-40
EditorKröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
TitlePaintings of the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller
Place of PublicationOtterlo
Year of Publication1969
Show Literature
Cat. Otterlo 1965 22
AuthorE. Joosten
TitleThe Kröller-Müller Museum
Place of PublicationNew York
Year of Publication1965
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 320
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Show Literature
Heller 1854 104
AuthorJoseph Heller
TitleLucas Cranach's Leben und Werke
Place of PublicationNuremberg
Year of Publication1854
Link http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015062799757
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 146-147 449
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature
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  • Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief, after 1537

Overall

File name: NL_KMMO_KM110-841_FR396_2008-09_Overall
File type / description: Digital image
Date: 2008-09
Author & Rights: Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
Source: Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

  • analysed by Peter Klein

2008Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
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Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- dry drawing material, dark chalk (initial design) and subsequently fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed freehand underdrawing

- thin lines

Function:

- only in the second phase (brush) binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe essential details and the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- numerous alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; changes (e.g. the face and the position of the head of Venus)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder or the Younger?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder or workshop?

[cda 2021]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_KMMO_KM110-841/ (Accessed 11.3.2025)
Entry with no author
'Venus with Cupid as the Honey Thief', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_KMMO_KM110-841/ (Accessed 11.3.2025)

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