Venus kust Amor 1617

Odoardo Fialetti created this print titled, "Venus kust Amor," sometime between 1573 and 1638. This piece invites us to consider the complexities of familial and romantic love. During Fialetti’s time, the Italian Renaissance was in full swing. Love, beauty, and mythology, particularly that of the Classical world, were of great interest to artists. This piece, depicting Venus kissing her son Cupid, offers a twist. Instead of idealized beauty, the figures have a certain weightiness, an earthly quality. Cupid looks less like a playful god and more like a robust child. Venus's embrace feels less sensual and more maternal, suggesting the many layers of love. The print complicates the viewer's understanding of love through the image of a mother's affection and the beginnings of romantic desire. It reminds us that love, in all its forms, is rarely simple.