Venus and Vulcan 1754

Francois Boucher made this large oil painting depicting Venus and Vulcan, using his mastery of the medium to depict the sensuous scene. Although Boucher was the most celebrated painter in France, he was also a designer for tapestry and porcelain, and clearly attuned to the decorative arts. He would have been acutely aware of how the mythological subject – Venus seducing Vulcan, so she can cuckold him by sleeping with Mars – had been treated in other media, like metalwork. That helps us appreciate the implied contrast here: Vulcan’s creative labor as a blacksmith, versus the aristocratic, unproductive indulgence of Venus. The painting itself, of course, is also a product of labor. Boucher’s virtuoso handling of the paint is evidence of his training, and of the studio assistants who helped him fulfill his commissions. Paying attention to materials, making, and social context allows us to see this painting not just as a pretty picture, but as a reflection on value, class, and the politics of pleasure.