Corrado Giaquinto, Venus and Adonis, 1750, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Details

Description

Corrado giaquinto (naples, 1703 - naples, 1765)

venus trying to restrain adonis from the hunt

oil on canvas
131 x … Read more Corrado giaquinto (naples, 1703 - naples, 1765)

venus trying to restrain adonis from the hunt

oil on canvas
131 x 100 cm. - with an important period frame (defects, small losses) 152 x 118 cm.

full details of the painting

the proposed work illustrates the myth of venus and adonis, one of the most beloved mythological subjects in art, especially in the baroque period. Based on the poem "metamorphoses" by the latin poet ovid (x, vv. 525-559), it perfectly embodies the era's sensitivity to emotionally charged subjects, with a perfect blend of strong passions and sensuality combined with intense drama.

in our case, the story tells of the passion that blossomed, thanks to an arrow shot by cupid, between venus, goddess of beauty and love, and the handsome young mortal hunter adonis. Despite the goddess's warnings about the dangers of the forest, adonis decides to go hunting anyway, only to be mortally wounded by a wild boar sent by the god mars, jealous of their union.

the composition does not illustrate the tragic epilogue, but instead focuses on the moment preceding it, namely venus's vain attempt to restrain the young hunter before he meets his tragic fate.

a beautiful detail depicts the young cupid covered with his hand in despair, as if foretelling that their love will soon end. In one hand, he holds a lit but inverted torch, a powerful symbol of classical origin, associated with unhappy love and the imminent demise of earthly pleasures.

this is a qualitatively significant work, attributed to the italian painter corrado giaquinto
(naples, 1703 - naples, 1765), one of the protagonists of eighteenth-century european painting. We believe it was painted around 1740-1750, thus during his full maturity.

the canvas is, in fact, an emblematic synthesis of the master's style in this phase, in which his style draws on the elegance and lightness of the rococo period while retaining the grandeur of the late italian baroque, defined by a soft brushstroke that gives the figures an almost ethereal grace.

the scene is characterized by a strong sense of movement and energy, and a marked compositional theatricality inherited from the painter's neapolitan training, conveyed through the use of a vibrant palette rich in warm, golden tones. The masterful, almost metaphysical use of light, which softly shapes the bodies, combined with the sinuous movement of the figures, are also unmistakable signatures of the artist from this period.

as often found in other compositions by the painter, the pictorial space is conceived as a true theatrical stage, governed by dynamism and emotional emphasis; the scene is framed by an imposing red drape suspended at the top left, partially supported by a cupid, emphasizing this concept, framing the action just like an opera set.

the nocturnal setting, a characteristic we often see in his works, also plays a crucial role, intended to further enhance the emotional impact of the story and, in our case, to foreshadow the danger.

to support our attribution, we can compare the following mythological works by giaquinto with the proposed painting, in which we can find stylistic and compositional parallels:
image 1 - c. Giaquinto, death of adonis, villa della regina, turin
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/66958/
image 2 - c. Giaquinto, venus giving arms to aeneas, quirinale palace, rome
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/66938/
image 3 - c. Giaquinto, aeneas and dido surprised by the storm, quirinale palace, rome
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/66945/
image 4 - c. Giaquinto, ulysses and diomedes in the tent of rhesus, pinacoteca civica, bari
https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/historicorartisticproperty/1600035725
imm. 5 - c. Giaquinto, judith and holofernes, palazzo argento provincial museum, lecce
https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/historicorartisticproperty/1600165018

additional information:

the painting is presented in a beautiful gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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