PETEL, Jörg
(b. 1601, München, d. 1634, Augsburg)

Venus and Cupid

1625-34
Ivory, height 40 cm
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Petel was a notable carver whether on a large scale or in smaller works in ivory and bronze. The Venus and Cupid group is believed to have belonged to the painter Rubens, and then to the celebrated George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 4 minutes):
Francesco Gasparini: The Meddlesome Cupid, aria