Venus and Cupid is a painting by Lorenzo Lotto in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It probably dates to the mid-1520s, but has been dated as late as the 1540s.
It is a wedding gift for a couple of Bergamo or Venice. Such paintings were inspired by the classical tradition of wedding poetry.
Venus and Cupid provides examples of:
- Art Imitates Art: Venus and Cupid are but one of many paintings that came out with the blockbusting popularity of the Dresden Venus, the subject matter and the Reclining Venus position being one of the larger signs of this.
- Name and Name: The title is fashioned this way.
- Putto: Cupid is depicted as a mischievous winged cherub accompanying Venus.
- Reclining Venus: The titular Venus is depicted reclining on a blue blanket on the grass.
- Rule of Symbolism:
- The garland of myrtle is a symbol of marriage.
- The roses, seashell and rose petals are all yanic symbols used to represent Venus' femininity.
- The ivy represents eternal love.
- Cupid is portrayed in puer mingēns; a Putto urinating through a crown of laurels of myrtle suspended on a blue ribbon with an incense burner onto Venus herself (who is portrayed as a bride). In this circumstance, the act is portrayed as a symbolic act of male fertility.
- The fact that Venus looks directly at the viewer was meant to act as the goddess of love giving her approval to the wedded couple.
