Venus and Cupid are represented as full length nude figures standing against a black backdrop. Only a strip of vegetation and the tree trunk at the left serve to locate the scene in a forest clearing. Venus has her hair pinned up and spartanly adorned with precious jewellery and
Venus and Cupid are represented as full length nude figures standing against a black backdrop. Only a strip of vegetation and the tree trunk at the left serve to locate the scene in a forest clearing. Venus has her hair pinned up and spartanly adorned with precious jewellery and a transparent veil, which seems to emphasize her nakedness rather than conceal it. Her weight is supported on her right leg and she appears to be lecturing Cupid. He is already holding a honeycomb in his left hand, while bees swarm about him and looks to Venus for assistance. The Latin inscription in the upper left corner suggests that the motif wishes to alert the viewer to the consequences of abandoned lust.
[cda 2021]
- Attributions
-
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Follower of Lucas Cranach the Younger
Attributions
| Lucas Cranach the Younger | or follower? [D. Koepplin, handwritten on the reverse of a b/w photograph; Koepplin Archive]; [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, no. 398C] |
| Follower of Lucas Cranach the Younger | or Lucas Cranach the Younger [D. Koepplin, handwritten on the reverse of a b/w photograph; Koepplin Archive] |
| Lucas Cranach the Elder | [Bermuda National Gallery, exhibition review, accessed 16.06.2021] |
- Production date
- after 1537
Production date
| after 1537 | [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, no. 398C] |
- Dimensions
- Dimensions of support: 48 x 34 cm
Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 48 x 34 cm
[D. Koepplin, handwritten on the reverse of a b/w photograph; Koepplin Archive]
- Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia at the bottom right: serpent with dropped wings, facing left
Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia at the bottom right: serpent with dropped wings, facing left
- Inscriptions and Labels
- at the top left: 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO // FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPITE FIXIT APIS. // SIC ETIAM …
Inscriptions and Labels
Inscriptions, Badges:
- at the top left:
'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO // FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPITE FIXIT APIS. // SIC ETIAM NOBIS BREVIS ET PERITVRA VOLVPTAS // QVAM PETIMVS TRISTI MIXTA DOLORE NOCET.'
- Owner
- Private Collection
- Repository
- Bermuda National Gallery, Hamilton
- CDA ID
- PRIVATE_NONE-P508
- FR (1978) Nr.
- FR398C
- Persistent Link
- https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P508/
- at the top left: 'DVM PVER ALVEOLO FVRATVR MELLA CVPIDO // FVRANTI DIGITVM CVSPITE FIXIT APIS. // SIC ETIAM …
