- Museum number
- 1895,0915.1064
- Description
-
Venus lamenting over the dead Adonis, supporting his body around the waist
Pen and brown ink, with brown wash, heightened with white
- Production date
- 1612 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 206 millimetres
-
Width: 151 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Constructed with energetic strokes of pen and ink followed by the application of a dry brown wash, the drawing has the appearance of being constructed at speed and in various stages. The overall energy of the scene led to its attribution to Rubens’ pupil Van Dyck on various occasions, but is now generally accepted as by the master. It is apparent that Rubens was drawing inspiration from the work of Correggio, and in particularly two compositions that were known to him. One is the ‘Mercury Instructing Cupid’ and the other is the ‘Jupiter and Antiope’, both of which were at the time in the collection of the Duke of Mantua where Rubens would have had chance to see them. The subject of Venus’s lamentation over the Dead Adonis was one that interested Rubens and he drew the scene on at least another two occasions: one in the NGA (inv.B.25.283) and the other in the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. All three sheets are generally dated to circa 1612.
Literature: M. Bénard, 'Cabinet de M. Paignon Dijonval', Paris, 1810, no. 1327, p. 66; Jaffé, 'Rubens and Italy', 1977, p.65, fig.211; J. Rowlands, ‘Rubens: Drawings and Sketches’, exhibition catalogue, British Museum,1977, no.61; J. Held, 'Rubens: Selected Drawings', (New York, 1986), no.57. L. Burchard- R.A. d'Hulst, 'Rubens Drawings', 1963, pp.110-12, no.66, fig.66; Anne-Marie Logan, 'Distinguishing the Drawings by Anthony van Dyck from those of Peter Paul Rubens', in Hans Vlieghe (ed.), "Van Dyck 1599-1999: conjectures and refutations", Turnhout, 2001, p.9, repr. fig.5; S. Steinberg, 'Rubens, Venus, and Adonis: Anatomy of a Tragedy', exh.cat. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2012, pp.18-20.
Entry from J. Rowlands, ‘Rubens: Drawings and Sketches’, exhibition catalogue, British Museum,1977:
The composition of this drawing plainly reflects the influence of Correggio, in particular of two, of his masterpieces, 'Mercury instructing Cupid' and 'Jupiter and Antiope', then in the collection of the Duke of Mantua. Rubens drew at least two other versions of this subject, one now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (Rowlands 1977, cat. no.60) and the other in the Print Room at Antwerp. All three drawings were executed about the same period, that is, about 1612, but there is no general agreement as to the order in which the drawings were done. It is quite possible, however, that the present drawing is the earliest of the three, and it is most closely dependent on the antique group of 'Menelaus and Patroclus' in the Pitti Palace, Florence, which appears to have been a source of inspiration for the composition.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1977 BM, Rubens drawings and sketches, no.61
2000/1 Oct-Jan, Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, 'Venus the Goddess of Love'
2001 Feb-April, Munich, Alte Pinakothek, 'Venus the Goddess of Love'
2001 May-Aug, Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum Voor Schone Kunsten, 'Venus the Goddess of Love'
2005/6 Oct-Jan, London, National Gallery, 'Rubens: A Master in the Making'
2009/10 Nov-Jan BM, P&D, 'Rubens Drawings' (no cat.)
2012 Jan-Jun, Jerusalem, Israel Museum, Focus
- Acquisition date
- 1895
- Acquisition notes
- Samuel Woodburn bought Morel de Vindé's collection (grandson of Paignon- Dijonval) en bloc in 1819
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1895,0915.1064
