Venus en Cupido 1766

Editor: We’re looking at “Venus en Cupido,” or Venus and Cupid, a charcoal drawing from 1766. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me is how muscular Venus is, and yet she still conveys a softness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, it’s delicious, isn’t it? Not what one expects. That strength combined with such tenderness. It makes me wonder about the expectations we place on, well, everyone. You know, "be strong but vulnerable," or "be independent but need me." Venus is looking down, is it concern? Protection? Is she showing Cupid how to wield his power responsibly? He’s tugging on the drape, isn't he? Editor: Yes, he definitely seems to have her attention, and you're right, the drape does seem central to the scene. The distant architecture is very interesting too. Curator: Ah, yes! Another contrast, the domestic idyll framed by the wildness. But tell me, does her seeming ambivalence detract from her divinity for you? Or does it add another layer of accessibility? Make her more, dare I say, human? Editor: It’s compelling to see Venus depicted in such an accessible way. It challenges the idea of distant, unattainable goddesses. I never thought of that distant architecture as framing an “idyll” at first. That really informs the rest of it! Curator: Exactly! See? The magic isn't just in the charcoal, but in what it stirs in us. Now I'm seeing all kinds of possibilities that were obscured by initial perceptions!