183 - Roman School, c. 1700

Roman School, c. 1700 Venus and Cupid with a Dove, or Allegory of Love Canvas 97 x 73 cm (Damage and missing sections) Note: Venus is depicted from the bust up, dressed in a garment of deep blue and pearly white tones, accompanied by Cupid, depicted as a winged child. The goddess holds a dove with outstretched wings, while the young god leans toward the bird in a gesture that connects the two figures. The dove, a traditional attribute of Venus since antiquity, serves here as the central symbolic element of the composition. Associated with the goddess of Love and Beauty, it evokes tenderness, harmony, and romantic union. The presence of Cupid reinforces this allegorical interpretation, in a gentle dialogue between the maternal figure and the young god. The composition is distinguished by the contrast between the figures’ luminous skin tones and the dark background, which focuses attention on the faces, gestures, and fabrics. The drapery, with its bluish hues, structures the scene and lends depth to the whole. The idealized treatment of the figures and the choice of subject are in keeping with the tradition of Italian Baroque painting of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.