Venus and Cupid
1527–85
Medium
Pen and ink
Dimensions
13 1/2 x 9 1/16 in. (34.3 x 23.0 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cephas G. Thompson, 1887
Accession Number
87.12.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate world of Renaissance drawings, Luca Cambiaso's *Venus and Cupid* (c. 1527–85) captivates with its delicate pen and ink lines on paper, measuring a modest 13½ x 9⅛ inches. This work, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Drawings and Prints, exemplifies the Genoese artist's mastery of, expressive draughtsmanship. Cambiaso, a prominent 16th-century Italian figure known for his dynamic compositions, often explored mythological themes, bringing classical deities to life through economical yet evocative strokes. The subject—Venus, goddess of love, tenderly entwined with her s...
About the Artist
Luca Cambiaso · 1527–1585
Luca Cambiaso (1527–1585) was an Italian painter and draftsman who dominated artistic life in Genoa during the second half of the sixteenth century and became one of the most innovative draftsmen of the Late Renaissance. Born in Moneglia near Genoa, he trained under his father, the painter Giovanni Cambiaso, and demonstrated precocious talent, reportedly completing his first public fresco commissi...