Venus and Amor
ca. 1585
Bartholomaeus Spranger captures a playful moment between the goddess of love and her son in this elegant Mannerist drawing from around 1585. Venus sits gracefully, perhaps drying her hair after a bath, while a mischievous Cupid aims his bow right at her, ready to strike. The elongated, twisting figures are a hallmark of Spranger's style, which was all the rage at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. The artist uses dramatic lighting to make the figures glow against the dark background, giving them a sculptural quality that feels almost alive.
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