CRANACH, Lucas the Elder
(b. 1472, Kronach, d. 1553, Weimar)

Venus

1532
Oil and tempera on red beechwood, 38 x 25 cm
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt

In the absence of concrete attributes, the seductive pose and nudity of the figure provide the only clue to her identity as Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Cranach only seldom featured Venus as a single figure, usually she is accompanied by her son Cupid, or is taking part in a mythological scene.