Turchi, Alessandro (1578-1640), Nach - Venus and Adonis

Turchi, Alessandro (1578-1640), - After

"Venus and Adonis"

Venus, the goddess of love, falls obsessively in love with the mortal youth Adonis. She warns him of the dangers of wild beasts, but he ignores her pleas to pursue a boar. The boar ultimately kills Adonis, leaving Venus devastated. She transforms his blood into the anemone flower, mourning his loss for eternity. This tragic myth explores the destructive power of divine obsession and the inevitability of death.

Unlike traditional classical iconography, which depicts Venus attempting to prevent Adonis from hunting, this composition focuses on the Lamentatio (mourning) following the young man's death. Venus, deeply distraught, weeps over the lifeless body of her lover. On the left, Cupid is present, witnessing the scene. Adonis's hunting dogs on the right symbolize a fidelity that transcends death.

The representation of Venus and Adonis here is characterized by a profound melancholy that inextricably intertwines the desire for love and the destiny of death.

Oil on canvas, signs of age, some previous restorations.

Dimensions approx.: 49 x 41 cm (+ complimentary frame).

Origin: French private collection.