Venus and Adonis
Image Courtesy of
National Gallery of Art, U.S.A.
|
Titian
Venus and Adonis |
| A repeated theme in the history of paintings, this piece tells a story of Venus, the goddess of love, and a young hunter by the name of Adonis. The two are lovers. Venus is the goddess most desired by all men, and since she is a god, she is immortal. Adonis is an arrogant, but beautiful man. This is the scene where Venus pleads for Adonis to stay with her because she knows that he will be killed by a wild boar while hunting that day. Adonis's arrogance led him to believe that he is immortal, and the result was fatal. Here we see Adonis, ready to hunt, with Venus wrapped around him, but he ignores here. In this image, Venus almost seems like a stranger begging Adonis for money or food, because he is ignoring her so casually, it seems as if he didn't know her. She seems so fragile compared to Adonis's strident look. Cupid sits in the background, weeping in sadness, and Adonis's hunting dogs almost seem reluctant to go as if they knew what was about to happen. Titian foreshadows the tragedy, and sends a message, that fate is unavoidable. Venus knows Adonis's fate, and although she is a god, even she cannot prevent Adonis's death. It is this exact moment, that she tries to go against the prophecy, but the stubborn Adonis proceeds to meet his fate. |
