Artwork
Landscape with Venus and Adonis
Landscape with Venus and Adonis is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Johannes Glauber. It dates from 1697 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Johannes Glauber’s 1697 oil painting titled Landscape with Venus and Adonis presents a tranquil countryside scene. The composition centers on a pair of figures—identified as the mythological Venus and Adonis—set against a verdant backdrop of trees, foliage, and distant settlement. The work resides in the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The foreground couple, a woman in a flowing gown and a man in a simple tunic, evokes the classical love story of Venus and Adonis. Their relaxed posture amid nature suggests an idealized moment of affection, while the surrounding wildlife and pastoral setting reinforce themes of harmony between humanity and the natural world.
Technique & Style
Glauber employs chiaroscuro, contrasting illuminated areas with deep shadows to model forms and create spatial depth. The handling of light across the figures and foliage enhances the three‑dimensional effect, while the smooth brushwork and balanced composition reflect the late‑Baroque sensibility of Dutch landscape painters.
History & Provenance
Completed in 1697, the painting entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Glauber, a noted Dutch artist active in the late seventeenth century, aligns with his known oeuvre of mythological subjects set within expansive, idealized landscapes.
Artist & collection
Rast am Waldrand
Diana und Aktäon
Arcadian Landscape
Wooded landscape with Tobias and the angel
Adonis carried off by Venus
Et skovrigt landskab med udsigt mod bjergene
Nymphs Bathing
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Landscape with Diana and Nymphs
Landschaft mit Tobias und Engel
Waldlandschaft
Landscape with Venus and Adonis