Artwork
Cupid Kissing Venus (Venus Kissed by Amor)
Cupid Kissing Venus (Venus Kissed by Amor) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van der Werff. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands. Cupid Kissing Venus, an oil painting on a small oak panel, measures 25 by 35 centimeters.
About this work
On a small oak panel just twenty-five centimetres high, Venus reclines naked on a bed while Amor stands on her lap and kisses her cheek. The Rijksmuseum holds this mythological scene as Amor Kissing Venus (SK-A-466), attributed to the manner of Adriaen van der Werff. Painted between 1700 and 1725, it shows the porcelain-smooth nudes that made the Rotterdam master so sought after.
Subject & Meaning
The depiction of Venus's nudity and the removal of pubic hair reflect contemporary ideals of beauty and decorum in mythological painting.
The painting depicts a mythological scene of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, receiving a kiss from Cupid (or Eros), the god of desire. The composition shows the nude goddess reclining on a bed, her body partly draped in a sheet with pillows and curtains visible, while Cupid leans in to kiss her. The work includes elements such as Venus's blond hair, smile, and bare breasts, as well as Cupid's bird-like wings, all rendered in a highly finished style typical of the artist.
The subject draws on classical mythology to symbolize romantic love and physical desire, with the intimate bedroom setting reinforcing the private, sensual nature of the encounter. The depiction of Venus's nudity and the removal of pubic hair reflect contemporary ideals of beauty and decorum in mythological painting.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on panel, this small mythological painting (25 × 35 cm) demonstrates Adriaen van der Werff's characteristic refined handling and smooth, enamel-like finish. The composition is intimate, depicting Venus and Cupid in a bedchamber with meticulously rendered drapery, pillows, and bed linens. Van der Werff's technique emphasizes polished surfaces and subtle modeling of flesh tones, especially in the warm highlights on the figures' skin.
The clean, precise brushwork and careful attention to details such as hair, wings, and facial expressions align with the classicizing trends of late seventeenth-century Dutch painting.
History & Provenance
The painting was created around 1700 by Adriaen van der Werff. Executed in oil on panel, it measures 25 by 35 cm. Its provenance includes the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, and the National Art Gallery of the Netherlands. No details about a commission or earlier ownership chain are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Cupid Kissing Venus, an oil painting on a small oak panel, measures 25 by 35 centimeters. This intimate mythological scene, depicting the goddess Venus and Cupid, is attributed to the manner of Adriaen van der Werff and dates from 1700 to 1725. Housed at the Rijksmuseum as object SK-A-466, the work reflects the refined aesthetic popular among aristocratic collectors of the period.
Context
Adriaen van der Werff, born in 1659, became a prominent figure in Dutch Classicism, known for his highly finished works. After training with Eglon van der Neer, he was appointed court painter to Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, in 1697, and later knighted. His small-scale, sensual mythological scenes, like this one, were often commissioned as cabinet pieces for the private collections of wealthy European aristocrats.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van der Werff (21 January 1659 – 12 November 1722) was a Dutch painter of portraits and erotic, devotional and mythological scenes.
Museum
National Art Gallery of the Netherlands
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