Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus Would Freeze
1588
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jacob Matham
Jacob Matham (1571–1631) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
See the richer artist page1588
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus Would Freeze is a 1588 ink by Jacob Matham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows three figures tangled in a rocky landscape. One woman lies half-naked, her arm stretched out toward a child holding grapes. Another figure with a crown and a basket of fruit leans in, while a winged boy reaches for her hand. Trees and vines twist around them, and the whole scene feels dramatic and crowded. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, making the figures look almost three-dimensional. This kind of detailed line work is called cross-hatching. Look up technique: engraving, cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with just ink and paper.
Jacob Matham (1571–1631) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
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