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Venus and Cupid

Maker

Copy after
(artist)
1558-1617

Title

Venus and Cupid

Date of Production

1600 - 1699

Medium

pen and brown ink on laid paper, with brown ink framing lines

Dimensions

Height: 24.8 cm
Width: 18.6 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.2922

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

In addition to the association of fire with love and passion, Venus is also associated with fire through the festival in her name. Ovid describes how heifers were sacrificed at altars, and smoke rose from the burning of incense. 'Golden Venus [was] present at her festival in person, ... and as a sign that the gods were kindly disposed, the flames burned up three times, shooting a tongue of fire into the air'.

Notes

Copy after a Goltzius engraving, 'Venus in Half-Length', circa 1596, from a set of three engravings, 'Deities in Half-Length' (see set at Wesleyan and impression of this composition, 1981.33.2).

Provenance

Sotheby's (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Verso: upper left corner, graphite: "No 230"; lower left corner, brown ink: "1523"; lower centre, graphite: "No".

Collector's mark: none.

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