Boucher, François (1703-1770) La Toilette de Vénus (The Toilette of Venus) 1751 Oil on canvas, 108.3 x 85.1 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Boucher executed this painting for Madame de Pompadour, the powerful, official mistress of Louis XV and…
Cranach, Lucas the Elder (1472-1553) Judgement of Paris 1530 Oil and tempera on panel, 50.8 x 36.4 cm Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Lucas Cranach’s interpretation of the Judgment of Paris is a medieval retelling of an ancient beauty contest.…
Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640) Venus and Cupid c.1606–1611 Oil on canvas, 137 x 111 cm Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid Rubens was the most outstanding of all Flemish painters, and a leading exponent of Baroque art. The Toilet of Venus is one of…
Rubens, Peter Paul (1577-1640) Venus Frigida (Cold Venus) 1614 Oil on panel, 143 x 184 x 3.8 cm Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp The title refers to Terence: “sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus” (“without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes”)…
Carpaccio, Vittore (c.1460-c.1526) Sogno di Sant’Orsola (The Dream of Saint Ursula) c.1495 Oil on canvas, 273 x 567 cm Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venezia This is the fifth of nine paintings in the cycle of the Legend of St. Ursula (Storie di sant’Orsola).…
Tiziano (c.1488-1576) Venere allo specchio (Venus with a Mirror) c.1555 Oil on canvas, 124.5 x 105.5 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington Titian’s goddess of love and beauty conjures the sense of touch. Observing her flushed cheek, one can almost feel its…
Tiziano (c.1488-1576) Venere allo specchio (Venus with a Mirror) c.1555 Oil on canvas, 116.5 x 101 cm Alte Pinakothek, Munich Compare: Tiziano (c.1488-1576) Venere allo specchio c.1555 National Gallery of Art, Washington
Giordano, Luca (1634-1705) Apoteosi dei Medici (Apotheosis of the Medici) early 1680s Oil on canvas, 139 x 65.2 cm National Gallery, London This modello, or detailed oil study, is one of a group of 12 paintings – ten of which are in…