Pygmalion wordt in een droom door Venus bezocht 1748 - 1815

Emmanuel Jean de Ghendt created this print, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, depicting Pygmalion visited by Venus in a dream. Venus, the goddess of love, appears almost weightless, hovering on a cloud, a gesture of invitation extended towards the dreaming sculptor. The motif of the goddess descending to bestow life or favor connects to ancient archetypes. We find echoes in other narratives, such as the Annunciation, where the divine intersects with the mortal. Venus's gesture, one of grace and command, reappears across centuries— a symbol of benevolent power. Consider the rose, a symbol of love and beauty, surrounding the goddess in this print. This rose motif reminds us of earlier depictions, such as those found in Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," where roses fall from the heavens, connecting divine birth with earthly beauty. The rose, a symbol of love, evolves in meaning, yet retains its core association with beauty and emotion. The image engages us with its potent blend of desire and the divine, tapping into our deep-seated longing for creation and transformation. It serves as a testament to the cyclical nature of symbols, resurfacing through time, continually reborn in new contexts.