Artwork
Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis
Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Victor Honoré Janssens. It dates from 1704 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition uses the figure of Venus to embody sorrow and longing, while Adonis' still form underscores themes of mortality and the transience of beauty.
Victor Honoré Janssens depicts Venus in mourning over the lifeless body of Adonis, a moment drawn from classical mythology that emphasizes themes of love, loss, and the fragility of life. The composition uses the figure of Venus to embody sorrow and longing, while Adonis' still form underscores themes of mortality and the transience of beauty. The work belongs to the mythological painting genre, reflecting 18th‑century artistic interest in narrative scenes from antiquity.
The painting is housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum's collection of European mythological works.
Technique & Style
Victor Honoré Janssens executed Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis in 1704 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work is classified as a mythological painting that depicts the figures of Venus and Adonis. As an oil-on-canvas piece from the early 18th century, the medium allows for the rich modeling and color saturation characteristic of the genre.
History & Provenance
Victor Honoré Janssens created the mythological painting Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis in 1704. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work depicts the classical subjects of Venus and the slain Adonis. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located.
No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
The painting Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1704 by Victor Honoré Janssens, the work depicts the mythological figures of Venus and Adonis. The provided sources confirm the artwork's location at this institution but do not contain specific inventory numbers, accession codes, or a record of its exhibition history.
Overview
Victor Honoré Janssens painted Venus Weeping over the Slain Adonis in 1704. Executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the Flemish Baroque tradition and is now part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection.
Context
The work reflects the Baroque fascination with dramatic narrative and theatrical poses, aligning with contemporary depictions of mythological subjects. Janssens’ experience across Germany, Italy, Vienna, and London informed his synthesis of Northern realism and Southern dynamism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Victor Honorius Janssens or Victor Honoré Janssens (or Jansens) (11 June 1658 – 14 August 1736) was a Flemish painter of religious and mythological works and a tapestry designer.
