Venus and Cupid

Venus and Cupid

This painting was completed by the Italian Mannerist artist Luca Cambiaso (1527-1585), a leading artist in Genoa in the 16th century. The painting was done in his middle period, which was his best period when his style was more subdued and more highly finished. It is known to first belong to William Patoun's collection in the 18th century. Against an almost-black background, Venus is reclining against satin-covered cushions, holding in her lap a youthful Cupid who extends his right arm. Their nude bodies, beautifully modeled, appear in almost sculptural roundness bathed in a cold light which imparts a delicate mauve tone to the flesh. At either side are rich purple hangings, and in the foreground is Cupid's quiver of arrows, brilliant turquoise blue with red straps. At the left are two turtledoves. Though possessing the strongly marked three-dimensional feeling and compact composition so typical of Mannerist paintings, this canvas has all the elegance of a Titian together with an extraordinary and quite unique color arrangement.

Cambiaso, Luca

Sweet, Frederick A. “Venus and Cupid by Luca Cambiaso.” Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (1907-1951) 37, no. 1 (1943): 2–3. https://doi.org/10.2307/4116877.
- This source first provides an overview of the Italian artist Luca Cambiaso’s professional experience and artistic style. It argues that starting with a Raphaelesque early style, Cambiaso peaks his work quality as subdued and highly finished in his middle period. Subsequently, the source provides a thorough formal analysis of Venus and Cupid. It argues that despite the classical formula of the compact composition aiming at creating a three-dimensional feeling, Cambiaso succeeded in depicting a tenderness in the relationship between Venus and Cupid, which indicates the Raphael influence on the artist. Following the discussion on the painting, the source introduces a comparative artwork: a drawing of Venus and Cupid by Cambiaso. Importantly, the source infers that Venus and Cupid belonged in the collection of Emperor Rudolph II or Queen Christina of Sweden before the 18th century. With formal analysis and historical facts as evidence, this source succinctly and significantly highlights the life and merit of the artist Luca Cambiaso.

Cambiaso, Luca. “Venus and Cupid.” The Art Institute of Chicago. Painting and Sculpture of Europe. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.artic.edu/artworks/44816/venus-and-cupid.

1565-1575

Jenny Chen

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107.5 × 95.7 cm

Painting

A. A. Munger Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, United States