Venus and Adonis c. 1550 - 1650

This small etching depicts Venus and Adonis in a landscape, an echo of classical myth. Note the tree at the center, its protective shade a temporary haven. Adonis, with his hunting spear, seems ready to depart, pulled by the thrill of the hunt, while Venus attempts to hold him back, a silent plea etched in her posture. The tree, a symbol of life and shelter, reminds us of similar motifs in earlier works, like the Tree of Knowledge. Here, though, it's not forbidden fruit but the call of the wild that tempts Adonis away from love's sanctuary. The hunter figure on the left evokes ancient images of the wild man, forever caught between civilization and primal instinct. This echoes through time in figures like Actaeon or even Saint Sebastian, figures of transformation and suffering. The tension between love and fate, the conscious and the subconscious, resonates deeply. These archetypes resurface across centuries, revealing our enduring fascination with desire, destiny, and the shadows that pursue us.