The Worship of Venus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Worship of Venus |
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|---|---|
| Artist | Titian |
| Year | 1518–1519 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Subject | Venus |
| Dimensions | 172 cm × 175 cm (68 in × 69 in) |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
The Worship of Venus is a famous painting by the Italian artist Titian. He finished it between 1518 and 1519. Today, you can see it at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. The painting shows an ancient Roman celebration. This event honored the goddess Venus every year on April 1st. During this special day, women would give gifts to statues of Venus. They believed this would help them become pure and clean.
What the Painting Shows
In Titian's painting, you can see two nymphs on the right side. A nymph is a nature spirit. One nymph looks young, and the other looks older. They are standing near a small shrine that holds a statue of Venus. This shrine is surrounded by small tablets, which were like thank-you notes or promises to the goddess. The older woman is holding a mirror up high. She seems to be checking the decorations around the shrine.
The front part of the painting is full of many baby angels. These are called putti. They are very busy doing different things! Some are climbing trees, while others are jumping or flying. You can see them gathering apples, resting, or even playfully fighting. Some are shooting arrows or gently pulling each other's hair.
In the middle of the painting, there is a small dam. Behind it, you can see a sunny field. Far in the distance, there are mountains under a bright blue sky.
Where the Idea Came From
Titian got the idea for this painting from an ancient Greek writer named Philostratus. Philostratus wrote a book called "Imagines." In one part, he described a scene that sounds very much like Titian's painting.
Philostratus wrote, "Look, cupids are gathering apples! Don't be surprised if there are many of them." He also mentioned that the cupids had golden quivers for their arrows. Their arrows were also golden. He said they hung their quivers on the apple trees. Their fancy cloaks were lying in the grass. He even described the baskets they used to collect their apples. Titian used these words to create his beautiful painting.
See Also
- List of works by Titian
- The Feast of Venus (Rubens)
