Vanitas of Venus: Parisian Virtues c. 1890

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes created this sketch, "Vanitas of Venus: Parisian Virtues," rendered in graphite and featuring white chalk highlights. Here, we see Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, reclining languidly with her son Cupid at her side. The iconography speaks to the transience of beauty and pleasure. The very name, "Vanitas," hints at the emptiness of earthly pursuits. The flowers in a vase are symbols of ephemeral beauty, destined to wilt and fade. This motif of Venus withering can be traced back to ancient Roman art, yet it resurfaces during the Renaissance, often as a moralizing reminder of mortality. Her languid pose, though seemingly carefree, also communicates a sense of ennui. Think of Botticelli's Venus, full of life and promise; in contrast, Puvis de Chavannes presents us with Venus burdened by the weight of her immortality. This isn't just a depiction of beauty, but a contemplation of its fleeting nature, engaging the viewer on a deeper level about the illusion of permanence.