Venus and Amor
ca. 1585
Medium
Pen and brown ink, light and dark brown and gray wash, heightened with white (partially oxidized); traced for transfer.
Dimensions
7 5/8 x 5 5/16 in. (19.4 x 13.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.844
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 16th century, Flemish artist Bartholomeus Spranger crafted this exquisite drawing *Venus and Amor* around 1585, capturing the timeless myth of Venus, goddess of love, with her son Cupid (also known as Amor). Spranger, a master of Northern Mannerism, served as court painter to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, where he produced elegant, sensual figures that blended Italian Renaissance influences with elongated, graceful forms. This intimate scene exemplifies his style, emphasizing beauty, eroticism, and divine harmony through the tender embrace of mother and child. Executed i...