Venus in de wolken 1769

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this drawing, "Venus in de wolken," which translates to "Venus in the clouds," at an unknown date. Chodowiecki was a Huguenot of Polish-German extraction who lived through the Enlightenment, and his artistic works often reflected the social and cultural values of the era. This drawing presents an intriguing blend of classical mythology with the sensibilities of his time. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and Cupid, are depicted in a style that attempts to reconcile classical ideals of beauty with an almost domestic intimacy. The image is interesting because the goddess and her son are floating on a cloud, which invokes the idea of transcendence. However, the composition is rather intimate. It invites us to consider the varied interpretations of love and beauty during the 18th century, which saw shifts in social structure and philosophical thought. It is hard to look at this image without wondering how the artist and his contemporaries understood the relationship between the ideals of classical beauty and the intimacy of familial affection.