Venus and Adonis
around 1595/97 | Bartholomäus Spranger
Venus loves the handsome shepherd and hunter Adonis. Full of foreboding, she tries in vain to hold the loved one back from the hunt; later he will be killed by a wild boar. The hunting dog in the foreground is his symbol, while Cupid and the pair of doves accompany Venus. The richly shaded colouring, above all the silkily shimmering skin, show the influence of Hans von Aachen who had finally arrived at the Prague Court in 1596.
Venus loves the handsome shepherd and hunter Adonis. Full of foreboding, she tries in vain to hold the loved one back from the hunt; later he will be killed by a wild boar. The hunting dog in the foreground is his symbol, while Cupid and the pair of doves accompany Venus. The richly shaded colouring, above all the silkily shimmering skin, show the influence of Hans von Aachen who had finally arrived at the Prague Court in 1596.
Artist:
Bartholomäus Spranger (1546 Antwerpen - 1611 Prag) DNB
Time:
around 1595/97
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Netherlandish
Material/technology:
Canvas
Dimensions:
163 cm × 104,3 cm
Framed (gallery frame): 178 cm × 120 cm × 6,5 cm
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
Gemäldegalerie, 2526
Provenance
From the treasury of Rudolf II.