Venus and Cupid 1495 - 1528

Palma Vecchio painted ‘Venus and Cupid’ in the 16th century, depicting the goddess of love and her son. Venus, adorned with jewels, is shown breastfeeding Cupid, a symbol of maternal love and the nurturing power of the goddess. This motif of Venus, often nude, has roots stretching back to ancient depictions of fertility goddesses. Consider the ancient Greek Aphrodite, whose image embodies desire, beauty and procreation. Over time, the visual representation of Venus evolved, yet her essence as a symbol of love and fertility remained constant. Like Botticelli, Palma Vecchio taps into the power of the maternal archetype: the image of a mother feeding her child speaks to primal instincts. This scene evokes profound emotions related to nurturing, protection, and the intimate bond between mother and child. From antiquity to the Renaissance, the motif of mother and child has been charged with deep psychological significance. Palma Vecchio's interpretation is yet another resurfacing of this powerful, cyclical image.