Antique Gouache Painting ‘Seated Venus & Cupid’ 19th Century

A Gouache painting of the ‘Seated Venus & Cupid ’, late 19th century in date.

The painting is dramatic and depicts a seated Venus dressed in classical robes offering a twin-handled bowl to a winged cupid with a quiver of arrows.

 

It is housed within its stunning and highly elaborate carved and black-lacquered frame.

 

 Add this splendid antique painting to a very special wall in your home.

 

Condition:

In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.  

 

Dimensions in cm:

Height 77 cm x Width 73 cm x Depth 4 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 6 inches x Width 2 foot, 5 inches x Depth 2 inches

Venus and Cupid

Venus goes back beyond Roman times; she is one of the major deities in the Roman pantheon, a native goddess combined with the Greek Aphrodite. In myth, she is the daughter of Jupiter by the wife of Vulcan, but her original incarnation was as a fertility goddess. She was born from the waves and sea foam, and there are numerous ancient representations of her as a blonde nymph in a seashell, often with attendant Cupids. The Romans named the brightest planet in the night sky visible to the naked eye after her, and the universal symbol for female depicts her hand mirror.

 

Her name is identical to the Latin noun Venus (sexual love); the Latin word venenum (poison or venom) is also related, originally meaning ‘love potion’. This shows the seductive side of her nature, but while it was only fitting to venerate Venus if you were looking for love, you still needed to be careful, or you could end up with a venereal disease.

 

One of my favourite appearances of Venus in antiquity is in ‘A Day at the Races’ by Ovid. This short book is worth reading for the social detail, the vivid and exciting atmosphere with heightened emotions portrayed, as well as being a masterclass in seduction ancient-Roman-style.  The poet has gone there with the intent of seducing a woman, as the racetrack was the only place of entertainment in Rome where men and women were not seated separately. He describes the procession of deities before the chariot racing begins and begs Venus’s indulgence for her help in his erotic venture.

Our reference: A5281b