# Venus and Amor [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger]() - Date: 1501-1550 - Technique: Limewood, 35 x 26 cm ## Commentary Sitting in front of a green curtain and behind a low parapet, Venus, the Roman goddess of love, addresses the viewer with an open gesture and frank gaze. On her lap is the small, naked figure of Amor, who, holding love's arrow in his hand, is endeavouring to clamber on to the parapet. It is not known who commissioned this picture, which is the earliest of Holbein's mythological paintings; it is first mentioned as being in the possession of Basilius Amerbach, who obtained it in 1578 as a present from his cousin, Franz Rechburger. In his inventory, Amerbach notes that the panels with Venus and Laïs are in fact portraits of a woman from the Offenburg family. However, even if Holbein did make use of a portrait study, he has idealized his model to the point where it can no longer be considered a true portrait. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 4 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/17\_cent/gasparini\_cupid.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>Francesco Gasparini: The Meddlesome Cupid, aria</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [Adam and Eve]() - [Apollo and the Muses on Parnassus]() - [Charitas]() - [Charles Brandon]() - [Christ as the True Light]() - [Christina of Denmark, Ducchess of Milan \(detail\)]() - [Christina of Denmark, Ducchess of Milan]() - [Courtier of Henry VIII and his Wife]() - [Darmstadt Madonna \(detail\)]() - [Darmstadt Madonna \(detail\)]() - [Darmstadt Madonna \(detail\)]() - [Darmstadt Madonna \(detail\)]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()