Venus Visiting the Forge of Vulcan
16th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink over black chalk
Dimensions
sheet: 5 3/4 x 8 3/16 in. (14.6 x 20.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Guy Wildenstein Gift, 2004
Accession Number
2004.299
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 16th-century Venice, Flemish artist Pauwels Franck known as Paolo Fiamo, crafted this intricate drawing, *Venus Visiting the Forge Vulcan*. Executed in pen and brown ink over black, the modest sheet measures just 5 3/4 x 8 3/16 inches, yet bursts with dynamic energy. Fiammingo, who blended Northern precision with Italian Mannerist flair after settling in Italy, captured a pivotal moment from classical mythology: Venus, goddess of love, graces the smoky forge of her husband Vulcan, god of fire and metalworking, likely commissioning divine armor for her son Aeneas as rec...