Venus en Adonis
Bartholomeus Spranger
c. 1585 - c. 1590
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
135; 109
About this artwork
olieverf op paneel
Art Historical Context
Bartholomeus Spranger’s *Venus and Adonis* captures a tender moment from classical mythology in which the goddess of love lingers with her mortal beloved before his fateful hunt. Painted in oil on panel around 1585–1590, the sizable work (135 × 109 cm) reflects the refined tastes of late-sixteenth-century European courts. Spranger, a Flemish artist who spent much of his career in Prague serving Emperor Rudolf II, was a leading figure of Northern Mannerism; his figures often display graceful elongation and elegant poses that emphasize beauty over naturalistic proportion. The choice of oil on p...