Slapende Venus en Amor 1617

Odoardo Fialetti made this print, Slapende Venus en Amor, using etching techniques, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. It shows the Roman goddess Venus asleep under a tree with her son Cupid lying beside her. As a printmaker working in Venice, Fialetti was part of a thriving industry. His works were accessible and reproducible and therefore served an important public role. It is worth noting that Venice during this period was known for its courtesans and its libertine culture. In many ways, the image presents a visual commentary on the culture of his time. Classical themes were of course very fashionable, but looking at the composition, the gaze is drawn towards the sensuality of the reclining figure of Venus. The meaning of this work for its contemporary audience would have been quite different from our own as the ruling classes had very different moral standards to the working classes. When we look at art, we have to remember that it emerges from a specific social and institutional context. To understand it better, we can always turn to the archives of the museums and libraries that preserve the cultural history of the past.