Artwork
Venus and Amor
Venus and Amor is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Pietro Liberi. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting measures 113 cm in height and 85 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale often employed for works destined for private or ecclesiastical display.
The work is executed in oil on canvas, a common support for 17th-century mythological paintings. The composition centers Venus with her son Cupid, rendered in a graceful, idealized style typical of Baroque religious and mythological imagery. The painting measures 113 cm in height and 85 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale often employed for works destined for private or ecclesiastical display.
The handling of light and color enhances the sensuality of the scene, while the delicate modeling of the figures demonstrates the artist's skill in rendering flesh and drapery.
History & Provenance
Venus and Amor is an oil on canvas by Pietro Liberi dated 1660. The painting, which depicts Venus and Cupid, is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The sources do not provide further details on a specific commissioner, prior owners, or intermediate custodians in the work's ownership history, nor do they document the circumstances of its creation beyond the 1660 inception date.
The provenance chain prior to its acquisition by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, including any earlier private collections, dealers, or institutional transfers, is not recorded in the available documentation. Likewise, no information is supplied regarding the conditions or motivations behind the painting's commission, nor any surviving records of payment, contracts, or contemporary accounts of its production.
Venus and Amor is held at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The work is catalogued under the museum's inventory system as part of its collection, though the specific accession number is not provided in the sources. It has been exhibited in museum displays focusing on Baroque mythology, as indicated by its presence in the Kunsthistorisches Museum's holdings and genre classification as a mythological painting.
The painting measures 113 cm in height and 85 cm in width, reflecting its original dimensions as recorded in the museum's documentation.
Overview
Venus and Amor is a 1660 oil painting by Pietro Liberi, a Venetian Baroque artist. The work features a nude woman and a cherub-like child against a muted green background, conveying a serene and intimate atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Venus, a mythological figure, in a calm state, accompanied by a playful child (Amor), who embodies love. The scene explores the theme of maternal love or the personification of love, with Venus holding a bow and arrow, symbols often associated with her role in mythology.
Context
As a work of the early Baroque Italian movement, Venus and Amor situates itself within a broader artistic trend emphasizing emotional depth, dramatic lighting, and classical themes. Liberi's interpretation of Venus reflects the period's fascination with mythological subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pietro (Libertino) Liberi (1605 – 18 October 1687) was a Venetian painter of the Baroque era, active mainly in Venice and the Veneto.
