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Venus and Cupid

A work made of engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1510/12

Artist:

Marcantonio Raimondi
Italian, c. 1480-1534

About this artwork

Both of the figures in Marcantonio Raimondi’s Venus and Cupid are nude. Yet the playful, loving rapport between mother and son mark this print as not so dissimilar from Marcantonio’s depictions of the Madonna and Child. The artist’s isolated treatment of the mythological pair in this shadowy niche suggests that they could also be meant to be sculptures. That conceit was often used in black-and-white grisaille paintings on the back of altar wings for pared-down New Testament scenes such as the Annunciation.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi

Title

Venus and Cupid

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1510–1512

Medium

Engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/plate: 20.4 × 8.2 cm (8 1/16 × 3 1/4 in.); Sheet: 22.1 × 10.1 cm (8 3/4 × 4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer, II

Reference Number

1919.2555

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/111554/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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