Venus probeert Adonis te weerhouden van de jacht 1650 - 1716

This engraving captures Venus attempting to dissuade Adonis from the hunt. Here, Adonis, the embodiment of youthful beauty, stands ready for the hunt, spear in hand, while Venus embraces him, a desperate plea etched on her face. At her side, Cupid, ever the impish observer, echoes the scene's tension. The embrace, a motif repeated through ages, echoes in countless depictions of lovers' farewells, each infused with the foreboding of separation. The rose, blooming precariously above, is a complex symbol; it is the flower that sprouted from Adonis' blood after his death, thus representing beauty, love, and the transient nature of life itself. We see the rose bloom in similar contexts, from ancient frescoes to Renaissance paintings, each time reborn with new yet familiar meanings, reflecting our shared understanding of beauty and mortality. Such images tap into our deepest, most primordial fears and longings, resonating across centuries through symbols that transcend mere representation, reminding us of the eternal dance between love and loss.