Ceres, Bacchus and Venus

The composition takes the form of a mythological scene, with a clearly allegorical character. The three divinities can be identified by their attributes: to the right, we have Ceres (goddess of crops, of agriculture and of the regenerative powers of nature) wearing a wreath of wheat-ears, leaning against a large horn of plenty; Bacchus (god of wine, who could inspire music and poetry), wearing vine-wreathes and lifting a goblet of wine; Venus (goddess of beauty and erotic love) represented with her two customary doves and flanked by her son, Cupid. Ceres and Bacchus are gesturing towards Venus, in a metaphorical expression of the fact that physical love is alive, together with the joys of plentiful food and drink; the painting is a prime example of the epicurean praise and joy for life of a voluptuary. Compositionally, Ceres, Bacchus and Venus is an impressive example of complex artistic design. The outline and the posture of the characters’ bodies, as well as the fragments of colonnaded architecture, all betray the artist’s preference for the harmonies of the Italian classical spirit. On the other hand, the horn of plenty and its proximity constitute, in fact, a still life with fruits and vegetables painted in the style of the most pure Flemish Mannerism. ©Dana Roxana Hrib, European Art Gallery Guidebook, Second edition, Sibiu 2011.