Mirror: Venus Mourning the Dead Adonis
early 17th century
Medium
Painted enamel, partly gilt and partly silvered, on copper; silver; glass.
Dimensions
H. 11.5 cm, w. 8.1 cm, d. .9 cm.
Classification
Enamels
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1236
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exquisite early 17th-century mirror by Suzanne de Court captures the poignant myth of Venus mourning her slain lover Adonis. Flanked by graceful swans—symbols of love and transformation—the scene evokes the classical tale from Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, where goddess weeps over Adonis's body after a fatal boar hunt. Measuring just 11.5 cm high, this intimate object blends artistry with functionality, its reflective glass surface framed by a delicate painted enamel tableau. Crafted in Limoges, France—a renowned center for enamelwo...