Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Camillo Boccaccino (Cremona, 1505 – Cremona, 1546) Follower
Venus Nursing Cupid
17th century
Oil on canvas 113 x 92 cm. In an antique frame, 129 x 107 cm.
Good condition (restorations, imperfections along the edges) Antique frame in good condition, with slight losses and imperfections in the gilding.
This splendid painting is based on the work titled “Venus and Love” (also known as Venus Nursing Cupid), a masterpiece created between 1532 and 1537 by the Cremonese Renaissance painter Camillo Boccaccino (Cremona, 1505–1546), now housed at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. [1]
At the center of the scene is the goddess Venus, seated on the ground on a richly draped fabric of deep red, half-naked, only partially covered by a light, transparent gown that slips down her sides. Standing beside her is the young Cupid (or Amor), recognizable by the dark wings on his back.
The painting captures a moment of tender and sensual intimacy: Venus offers her breast to her son Cupid, sophisticated in her pose yet authentic in the transparency of the veils and the tenderness of the flesh.
The child, resting a hand on his mother’s breast to draw closer, looks upward with an almost entranced expression. Venus’s left hand rests delicately on the red drape, holding a few small wildflowers.
In the lower right, almost in the shadows, Cupid’s bow can be seen abandoned on the ground.
The painting shows a strong influence of Parmigianino’s style, evident in the elongated and elegant grace of Venus’s figure and in the softness of the forms.
The painting makes extensive use of contrasts, with the pale, luminous skin of the two protagonists standing out sharply against the dark, shadowy tones of the trees in the background, while the bright red of the fabric on which they sit enlivens the entire composition.
The painting *Venus and Cupid* is considered by art historians to be the true emblem of Camillo Boccaccino’s secular style—a perfect fusion of the elegant grace of the Emilian painters with the strength and color of the Venetian and Lombard painters.
His style, in particular, stems precisely from the fusion of three great Renaissance painters: Parmigianino, Correggio, and Titian Vecellio; each of these masters left a clear imprint on his paintings, enabling him to create a unique and modern artistic language for his time.
From Parmigianino, Camillo inherited a taste for painting that sought abstract and elegant beauty, thanks to elongated figures, tapered fingers, sinuous necks, and refined, almost aristocratic poses.
From Correggio’s studio, he learned the secret of “sfumato” and softness, where faces and bodies—especially in his works with mythological subjects, such as our Venus—acquire a unique grace and sensuality.
This is evident in the subtle transitions of light and the silky skin of the figures. Finally, from Titian and the Venetian painters, Camillo drew upon the richness of color and the warm atmosphere.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
