Venus Nursing Cupid

17th century

Oil on canvas

113 x 92 cm.

In an antique frame, 129 x 107 cm.

Good state of preservation (restoration work, imperfections around the edges)

Antique frame in good condition, with slight losses and imperfections to the gilding.

This splendid painting is based on the work entitled ‘Venus and Cupid’ (also known as Venus Nursing Cupid), a masterpiece created between 1532 and 1537 by the Cremonese Renaissance painter Camillo Boccaccino (Cremona, 1505 –1546), now housed at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. [1]

At the centre of the scene is the goddess Venus, seated on the ground upon a rich drapery of deep red, semi-nude, only partially covered by a light, transparent gown that slips down her sides. Standing beside her is the young Cupid (or Amor), recognisable by the dark wings on his back.

The painting captures a moment of tender and sensual intimacy: Venus offers her breast to her son Cupid, sophisticated in her pose yet authentic in the translucency of the veils and the tenderness of the flesh. The little boy, resting a hand on his mother’s breast to draw closer, looks upwards with an almost rapt expression.

Venus’s left hand rests gently on the red drape, holding a few small wildflowers. In the bottom right-hand corner, almost in the shadows, Cupid’s bow can be seen lying on the ground.

The painting shows a strong influence of Parmigianino’s style, evident in the elongated and elegant grace of Venus’s figure and in the softness of the forms.

The painting makes extensive use of contrasts, with the pale, luminous skin of the two main figures standing out sharply against the dark, shadowy tones of the trees in the background, whilst the bright red of the fabric on which they sit enlivens the entire composition.

The painting *Venus and Cupid* is regarded by art historians as the true emblem of Camillo Boccaccino’s secular style, a perfect fusion of the elegant grace of the Emilian painters with the vigour and colour of the Venetian and Lombard painters.

His style, in particular, stems precisely from the fusion of three great Renaissance painters: Parmigianino, Correggio and Tiziano Vecellio; and each of these masters left a clear mark on his paintings, enabling him to create a unique and modern artistic language for the time.

From Parmigianino, Camillo inherited a taste for painting that sought abstract and elegant beauty, characterised by elongated figures, tapered fingers, sinuous necks and refined, almost aristocratic poses.

From his study of Correggio, he learnt the secret of ‘sfumato’ and softness, whereby faces and bodies – especially in his works with mythological subjects, such as our Venus – acquire a unique grace and sensuality. This is evident in the subtle gradations of light and the silky skin of the figures.

Finally, from Titian and the Venetian painters, Camillo drew upon the richness of colour and the warm atmosphere.

 

[1] URL: https://pinacotecabrera.org/collezioni/collezione-on-line/venere-e-amore/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The artwork is sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We arrange and organise the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, using professional, insured carriers.

Please contact us for any further information; we will be delighted to assist you. It is also possible to view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

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