Attributed to Joachim Wtewael (Utrecht 1566-1638)

The subject of Venus and Adonis is drawn from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (Book X, lines 532-9 and 705-9). In Ovid's tale, the story of Venus and Adonis is recounted by Orpheus to an audience of animals and birds. Adonis, child of King Cinyras of Paphos and his daughter Myrrha, was renowned from childhood for his unequalled beauty and the Goddess of Love conceived an overwhelming passion for him, following a chance scratch she received from Cupid's arrow. The story of Venus' passion for the young Adonis was a favorite episode for European artists.

Lowenthal (op. cit., 1986) considers the present picture either a second version of Wtewael's Venus and Adonis of circa 1607-10, once in Schlangenbad, Kunstgalerie Hohenbuchau (see op. cit., 1986, p. 122, no. A-47) or a period copy.