Peter Paul Rubens, 'The Birth of Venus', about 1632-3
About the work
Overview
This design for a silver basin depicts a number of episodes from classical myth. Venus, the goddess of love, steps out of the giant shell from which, according to Hesiod’s Theogony and the Homeric Hymns, she was born. The birth of Venus from the sea is a playful subject for a basin design: as the container was drained, the figure of the goddess would gradually emerge. She squeezes seawater out of her long hair as she is helped to the shore of Cyprus by her attendants, one of whom holds out a string of pearls.
The sea god Neptune and his wife, Salacia, goddess of the sea, recline in the border above the scene, watching putti play with swans and ride seahorses, and nymphs ride dolphins. At the base of the border, the lovers Cupid and Psyche embrace – a reference to Venus’ role as the goddess of love. Rubens made the design for Charles I, King of England, and the basin was cast by the Antwerp silversmith Theodore Rogiers.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Birth of Venus
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Artist dates
- 1577 - 1640
- Date made
- about 1632-3
- Medium and support
- black chalk and oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 61 × 78 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1885
- Inventory number
- NG1195
- Location
- Room 18
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 17th-century French Frame
Provenance
Coll. the 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767–1852), Lennoxlove, by 1830; 12th Duke of Hamilton sale, Christie’s, 17 June, 1882 (44) bt. Denison for £1,680; Christopher Beckett Denison (†) sale, Christie’s, 13 June ( = 7th day), 1885 (924) bt. by Agnew for the National Gallery for £672 (purchased out of the Clarke Fund).
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Gregory Martin, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School: circa 1600–circa 1900’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2009Baroque 1620-1800: Style in the Age of MagnificenceVictoria and Albert Museum4 April 2009 - 19 July 2009
-
2017Rubens and RembrandtThe National Gallery (London)22 March 2017 - 6 August 2017
-
2017Monochrome: Painting in Black and White.Museum Kunstpalast22 March 2018 - 15 July 2018
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2018Rubens. Painter of SketchesMuseum Boijmans Van Beuningen8 September 2018 - 13 January 2019
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2023Rubens and WomenDulwich Picture Gallery27 September 2023 - 28 January 2024
Bibliography
-
1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
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