Artwork
Venus and Cupid
Venus and Cupid is an oil painting by Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1880 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
Venus and Cupid, an oil painting from circa 1880, is a mythological work by French artist Henri Fantin-Latour, deviating from his more common still-life and portrait subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a serene, intimate scene of Venus (nude, with dark hair, covering her chest) and Cupid (nude child, holding a bow and arrow, leaning against her). The composition conveys quiet contemplation and maternal intimacy.
Technique & Style
Characterized by loose, expressive brushstrokes and muted, subdued colors, the work employs chiaroscuro, contrasting light and dark to emphasize the central figures against a vague, darkened landscape background.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Fantin-Latour explored allegorical themes, the painting is now part of the Fitzwilliam Museum's collection.
Context
This piece reflects Fantin-Latour's temporary divergence from his signature floral still-lifes and Parisian portraits, into mythological allegory, a less common aspect of his oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
