Venus and Cupid

Venus, goddess of love and beauty, and her son, Cupid, mischievous child-god of love, were a favorite subject for artists of the Renaissance and later centuries. Here Venus gently and teasingly takes Cupid’s bow away, preventing him from inflicting the wounds of love (for a similar theme on the “disarming” effects of love, see Poussin’s Mars and Venus nearby). The pair is surrounded by symbols of love: roses, doves, and a carved band on the bed showing the lovers Mars and Venus with Cupid. To contrast with the dynamism of the strong diagonals, Guido Reni emphasized the contours of the graceful, elongated figures, whose cool, delicately modulated tones recall the appearance of marble sculpture.

This painting was apparently executed for a goldsmith, who intended to sell it for a profit. As payment, he gave Guido Reni a diamond; the painting was subsequently known as Il Diamante. Reni, known in his day as the “Divine Guido”, was revered for his classically inspired, gracefully proportioned figures, balanced and harmonious compositions, and delicate color.