Venus and Adonis

Currently not on view

Venus and Adonis

c. 1570

Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520–1582) After a drawing by Teodoro Ghisi (Italian, 1536–1601)

Venus's infatuation with the mortal Adonis, described by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, was among the best-known mythological tales involving the great goddess of love. Fearing for the safety of her handsome lover, Venus urged him to hunt only harmless rabbits and deer, but Adonis ignored her pleas and encountered death at the tusks of a wild boar.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

Venus and Adonis

Date:

c. 1570

Artists:

Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520–1582) After a drawing by Teodoro Ghisi (Italian, 1536–1601)

Medium:

Engraving

Dimensions:

Sheet: 12 11/16 × 9 inches (32.2 × 22.9 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Lola Downin Peck Fund, 1975

Accession Number:

1975-28-2

Geography:

Made in Mantua, Italy, Europe

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Currently not on view