Venus Embracing Adonis After The Chase c. 1570

Curator: Immediately striking is the almost frantic energy within this small space. The figures seem to burst from the frame. Editor: Indeed. And what we are viewing is Giorgio Ghisi's engraving, "Venus Embracing Adonis After The Chase," created sometime between his birth in 1515 and death in 1582. The print depicts Venus and Adonis in a moment of embrace. Curator: I'm struck by Adonis's expression. It seems as if he’s caught off guard, perhaps resisting Venus's advances. The hunting spear feels charged with masculine energy that Venus is trying to tame. Editor: The political dynamics of love and power are certainly at play. These images, distributed through prints, served to reinforce certain social norms and expectations regarding gender roles and desire in the 16th century. Curator: And look at the cupids—one drawing back the curtain, another seemingly torturing a rabbit, both suggesting the cruelty inherent to desire. What do you make of it? Editor: It's a complex work, certainly one that reflects the societal tensions surrounding love, power, and gender in Ghisi's time. It gives us a means to explore those tensions today as well.