Venus und Adonis · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Venus und Adonis
Period: 1550-1600;
Geographic: Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving illustrates the goddess Venus sitting on the ground as she holds her new lover, Adonis. They are illustrated looking lovingly at one another as Adonis’ hounds rest beside them. Venus had been admiring Adonis from afar when her son Cupid had accidentally scratched her with one of his arrows. The arrow caused her to fall in love with Adonis. She decides to abandon her love of watching over her cities and she forgets the heavens all to focus on Adonis. They roam the forest and hunt together, which is depicted in the background of the engraving.
Image Creator: Virgil Solis (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:23199
Language: ger
Source Name: P. Ouidij Nasonis, deß Sinnreichen und hochverstendigen Poeten, Metamorphoses oder Verwandlung, mit schönen figuren gezieret, auch kurzen Argumenten und außlegungen erkläret, und in Teutsche Reymen gebracht, durch Johann Spreng von Augspurg [Publius Ovidius Naso, the Ingenious and Highly Understandable Poet, Metamorphoses or Transformations, Adorned with Beautiful Images, and also descriptions of Short Arguments and Explanations, Brought into German Rhymes by Johann Spreng of Augsburg]
Parent Collection: 1564 Frankfurt Spreng
Image: mta_23199_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Ovid's Metamorphoses
Subject: Venus; Adonis; Cupid; Gods; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology