Venus Surrounded by Cupids 1788

Francesco Bartolozzi's 1788 engraving, *Venus Surrounded by Cupids,* depicts the Roman goddess of love and beauty reclining on a couch while playful cupids surround her. The scene, executed in a stipple technique, is rendered with a soft, delicate quality, emphasizing the sensuality of the subject matter. This print, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, exemplifies the popularity of mythological themes in 18th-century art.