Venus behoedt Amor voor de jacht 1724 - 1777

Editor: Here we have "Venus protecting Cupid from the Hunt," an etching and engraving by Étienne Fessard, created sometime between 1724 and 1777. It's delicate, almost whisper-thin lines forming a scene filled with mythological figures… quite a contrast to some of the bolder works we've seen. What strikes you when you look at this, what stands out to you the most? Curator: Ah, this little gem! What captures my eye, quite mischievously I must admit, is how Fessard teases out this drama with such restrained elegance. It's like overhearing a whispered secret, isn't it? The baroque flair tempered by the burgeoning Rococo sensibility. Imagine, if you will, the theatre of it all. Venus, a protective lioness, shielding her impish son, Cupid, from the dangers lurking in the… well, mostly suggested forest. Do you sense that contrast – this dance between overt display and subtle implication? Editor: Definitely. I was reading that Rococo moved away from the grandiosity of Baroque towards something more intimate and playful. Curator: Exactly! It’s lighter, flirtier. And look at the chariot, the swirling clouds… doesn't it almost feel as if they might dissolve into mist at any moment? It is about safety and shielding a vulnerable subject but maybe also about love's ability to make things seem weightless, fantastical, somehow both there and not there. Does it give you a different read? Editor: Yes, the clouds do add that ethereal sense to the scene...It’s almost like a daydream captured in ink. Thinking about Rococo art this way brings such a new perspective, particularly from these engraved lines. Thanks so much. Curator: My pleasure entirely! Never forget that even within seemingly rigid traditions, artists whisper their own rebellions, one delicate line at a time.