Sleeping Venus with Cupid

Oil on canvas

53 x 68 cm.

In frame 71 x 91 cm.

Venus, the Roman goddess of love, is portrayed lying down, completely naked, sleeping languidly with both arms behind her head; standing next to her is her son Cupid, the god of desire, pointing to something off-screen.

The seductive image is set in a hilly landscape, in perfect harmony with nature, and in a measuredly sensual and dreamy atmosphere: her nudity and pose symbolize ideal beauty; she rests on white and red drapery, symbolic colors that indicate the coexistence of pure platonic love (the white sheet covering her pubic area) and passionate love (the red pillow).

It is a work of great charm, both for the subject immortalized and for the pictorial execution, showing us the peculiar characteristics of the Bolognese school and highlighting a quality of composition and design that suggest an 18th-century date of execution.

The work captures the Rococo sensibility declining into a careful classicist rigor, also presenting lexical elements drawn from early 17th-century culture typical of Domenichino and Francesco Albani: our painting draws inspiration from a work by the latter, specifically ‘Adonis led by Venus and the Cupids’, created in 1621 by Albani for the Duke of Mantua (Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. 12, https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010062424 ). In our case, the author has extrapolated the detail of Venus with Cupid (bottom right in the original composition)

Going into detail about the attributes, we can easily link the canvas, painted in the early 18th century, to the workshop of the master Marcantonio Franceschini (Bologna 1648 - 1729), who often drew on lexical elements from early 17th-century culture, in particular that of Francesco Albani, achieving a highly refined classicist sensibility.

The pictorial fabric, the analysis of the forms, the scenic setting, the typology of the faces, and some Morellian details find clear points of contact and comparison with the artist's best work, who proved to be one of the finest interpreters of Bolognese art between the 17th and 18th centuries.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

If the work is purchased by non-Italian customers, it will be necessary to obtain an export permit, which takes approximately 10-20 days. Our gallery will take care of the entire process until the permit is obtained. All costs for this procedure are included.

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