Hvilende Venusfigur, omgivet af seks putti, der leger med sværd, pil og hjerte 1623 - 1678

Curator: Here we have a pen and ink drawing entitled “Hvilende Venusfigur, omgivet af seks putti, der leger med sværd, pil og hjerte,” created between 1623 and 1678 by Jürgen Ovens. Editor: It's playful, almost chaotic. The scene bubbles with youthful energy, though the slumbering Venus provides a strange, contrasting calm at its center. There’s something unnerving about her vulnerability surrounded by the cherubic figures. Curator: Indeed. These putti are certainly engaging in the traditional association of Venus with Cupid. Though notice, they aren’t simply innocent depictions of love; some wield swords and others torment hearts with arrows— a complex interpretation that moves beyond simple depictions of love. It also reflects the baroque sensibilities in its dynamic composition, high contrast, and emotional intensity. How does it connect with the period for you? Editor: It draws my eye toward process, certainly. Considering the time period, the crafting of ink would’ve been tied to its material reality: its base components, production of materials, trade and labour. I wonder where Ovens sourced it from, how easy the components to hand and where did his artistic license begin within the frame of economic limitations or accessibility to resources. Curator: The context certainly allows a different lens: the historical positioning of Venus in art through history, always as a political symbol – I’m inclined to think about the access, privilege and wealth granted to the artists of these types of pieces: particularly their ties to specific networks that informed this canon. Who did depictions of women truly speak for? Editor: Good point! By considering who can make and create, as well as where materials originate, it also sheds light on who can not and, crucially, asks us about accessibility within creative labour Curator: Absolutely, it prompts us to investigate not just the beautiful surface of mythological art, but to question who the power players were behind these commissions, what narratives they sought to reinforce or undermine, and what we, as audiences, risk overlooking if we don’t approach the work with those questions in mind. Editor: Seeing Venus represented in this raw medium is such an experience! So often the attention rests on aesthetic enjoyment rather than appreciating where things begin, with their composite parts and components of design. Thanks for expanding that scope!