torso and head of bare-breasted woman at center, with curly updone hair, wearing three necklaces, with her garment open in the front, looking upward toward PL, with her eyes drawn upward; another woman at right holding a small sickle in her PR hand draws up a cloth over central woman's lower body; woman at right has braids and wheat in her hair; putti in LLC; youth behind woman with grapes and grape leaves in his hair, holds his PL hand on central woman's PL shoulder and holds a bunch of grapes in his PR hand, over central woman's PR upper arm; text at bottom

Without Bacchus and Ceres, Venus Freezes, c. 1600

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“Without Bacchus and Ceres, Venus Freezes” is an allegory that can be interpreted as “Without wine and food, love freezes.” Here we see Bacchus and Ceres, the god and goddess of wine and agricultural fertility, embracing Venus, goddess of love, helping to keep her warm. The infant god of love, Cupid, reaches up to pluck a grape. The allegory derives from a line in an ancient Roman comedy written by Terence, who lived in the 100s BCE. The sensuosity of this image contrasts sharply with the verses, which warn against excessive consumption of food and drink as a gateway to libidinous activity.

The dazzling engraving technique features swelling and tapering lines curving and crisscrossing to render broad tonal ranges and stark contrasts of darkness and light that bring forth palpably fleshy forms.

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Details
Title
Without Bacchus and Ceres, Venus Freezes
Artist Life
1565–1607
Role
Engraver
Accession Number
2018.80
Provenance
(Christopher Mendez, London, 2018)
Catalogue Raisonne
Hollstein 75 ii Bartsch 28 Wurzbach 28 Rothlisberger 59
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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torso and head of bare-breasted woman at center, with curly updone hair, wearing three necklaces, with her garment open in the front, looking upward toward PL, with her eyes drawn upward; another woman at right holding a small sickle in her PR hand draws up a cloth over central woman's lower body; woman at right has braids and wheat in her hair; putti in LLC; youth behind woman with grapes and grape leaves in his hair, holds his PL hand on central woman's PL shoulder and holds a bunch of grapes in his PR hand, over central woman's PR upper arm; text at bottom