Venus c. 1590 - 1637

Curator: Here we have "Venus," a pencil drawing from around 1590 to 1637, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum, attributed to Egbert Van Panderen. Editor: It feels both ethereal and grounded, doesn't it? Venus steps forward, a pigeon flies off to her left, with cherubic figures on either side, each atop bulbous clouds. The rendering of Venus, for me, comes off almost like an announcement. What do you feel? Curator: Announcement, certainly! I see her as something of a proclamation of feminine beauty, of love, or perhaps even, humorously, as love’s labour's lost. I see someone testing her new shoes and maybe falling on stage. It really seems she needs something else besides that cloud, doesn't it? Editor: Exactly! There’s an almost awkward vulnerability to her pose. One hand extended, the other held to steady a cherub with a drawn bow. Given its creation period, it must have taken serious skills in draftsmanship, which are downplayed by the seeming levity of the composition. To me this speaks of class hierarchy of both creator and subject matter. But why? Curator: Well, the classical Venus was a figure of immense power and authority. In the 16th and 17th centuries, that translates into the rise of the bourgeoisie, and what a bourgeois sees is worth the trouble of drawing is themselves. Here, this scene, in that way, is not to suggest reverence, but control. Van Panderen sought not to merely capture but to almost orchestrate, to position the subject in his frame. This may imply he wanted something more than a faithful portrait. Editor: Ah, I can see that. Especially when we situate this work within the sociopolitical milieu of the time—a period defined by stark disparities in wealth, privilege, and access, these images were largely produced and enjoyed by elites, reinforcing existing power structures. It shows Venus, yes, but more broadly serves to reinforce dominant ideals around gender, power, and artistic practice. Curator: So true! And that sort of context makes what seems like a flighty, playful, or simple composition resonate on so many levels. It isn't just Venus floating by, is it? Editor: No, not at all. This drawing serves as a mirror reflecting the desires and ideologies of the artist and those for whom he creates. Thanks for sharing, it always surprises how much there is in this simple but potent depiction.