Venus und Adonis
Here, the goddess of love is literally clinging to her boyfriend, trying to talk him out of a hunting trip. Venus looks up pleadingly at Adonis, while a chubby cherub tugs at his leg and hunting dogs wait impatiently in the shadows. It’s a dramatic Baroque scene by Jacob van Loo, depicting the moment before tragedy strikes—Adonis ignores her warnings and is later killed by a boar. Fun fact: Van Loo himself lived a dramatic life, fleeing the Netherlands for Paris after killing a man in a duel!
- Technique
- Oil painting