Venus straft Amor
c. 1590 - c. 1595
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
110; 153
About this artwork
gravure
Art Historical Context
### Venus Punishes Cupid (Venus straft Amor) Created around 1590–1595 by Agostino Carracci, a master engraver and painter from the influential Bolognese Carracci family, *Venus straft Amor* captures a playful yet dramatic mythological scene. Venus, the goddess of love, metes out punishment to her mischievous son Cupid (Amor), a motif drawn from classical tales like those in Ovid's *Metamorphoses*. Agostino's intricate engraving, measuring just 153 × 110 mm, renders the figures with dynamic energy—Venus poised in reprimand, Cupid wriggling in mock distress—inviting viewers into an intimate tab...
About the Artist
Agostino Carracci · 1557–1602
Agostino left his profession as a tailor to become an artist. His earliest works were engravings, which was an extremely profitable practice and he was famed for having attained new heights of perfection. He was also a skilled painter and collaborated with his famous relations on various commisions. Comment on works: Religious; Portraits.