The rich Greek mythology has several stories to tell, and one of them is that of Venus and Adonis, two lovers. According to the myth, Venus, the Greek goddess of love, falls in love with Adonis, a mortal man who is proud and arrogant of his good looks. While Venus is a beautiful goddess desired by most people, Adonis is just an ordinary mortal. The story of these two lovers has been depicted in paintings by Titian and Rubens. In the rest of this paper, we will compare both paintings.
In both paintings, the depicted scene shows Venus pleading with Adonis to stay with her instead of going hunting. She knows that if he goes on the trip, he is bound to get killed. Adonis, however, is stern about his decision and pulls away due to his pride and wrongly assumed immortality. As the story goes, Adonis does end up getting killed by a wild boar during the hunt, leaving a lesson for mankind.
In Titian’s painting, it is slightly odd to see that despite being lovers, Venus and Adonis seem like complete strangers. Venus desperately begs Adonis while he ignores her completely, as if shrugging away a random beggar asking for money or some other necessity. Titian has successfully depicted the weak, pleading and frail Venus in front of the strong, stern and harsh Adonis who pays no heed to her desperation.
As far as the aesthetics of the painting are concerned, it has a sense of impulsiveness and dynamics due to the use of free, lively strokes of paint. Additionally, Titian even used his finger to paint some areas in the painting, such as Adonis’s arm. To create a suggestive mood, Titian utilized rich colors, sparkling highlights, and a lush landscape.
The intricacies of the painting can be seen in the fact that Venus’s neck is bent in a way that no mortal female can bend. This shows the concentration on the details of the myth itself, keeping the spirit of the story alive. The painting emphasizes that Venus is an immortal goddess and yet is depicted in a position of pleading.
The background depicts Cupid weeping over the failure of love and its inability to last. Adonis’s hunting dogs appear hesitant, as if anticipating what lies ahead. In this scene, Adonis is the only one with a determined look on his face, lost in his belief of being immortal. His impatience is evident as his dogs strain at their leashes.
The painting conveys the message that fate cannot be hindered, whether mortal or immortal. The portrayal of a helpless goddess supports this idea, while the death of a foolish Adonis adds a harsh image to it.
Moving on to the same theme depicted by Rubens, one can see stark similarities as well as vivid differences between the two paintings. Rubens’ version of the painting is more intense, and the difference in colors used signifies the eras in which they were painted. The intensity of the entire scenario can be noticed by the attention paid to detail. For example, the dark and lush trees add gravity to the situation and signify the threat that lies ahead of Adonis.
Furthermore, the painting intensifies the feeling with which Venus attempts to stop Adonis from leaving. Even the cupid holds on to Adonis instead of weeping in the background as shown in Titian’s painting.
Even though Ruben’s painting was inspired by Titian’s initial work, it still stands out with its own individuality. The painting tells the same story in a stronger and more intense way, giving both Adonis and Venus more personality through their colors, expressions, and positions. In Ruben’s painting, the facial expressions of both Venus and Adonis are clearer and speak more strongly of their feelings. Unlike Titian’s painting where only Venus’ back is visible, Ruben’s painting shows her face which conveys a pleading look that speaks volumes about her emotional crisis. At the same time, Adonis’ harsh look in Ruben’s painting speaks of his arrogance and indifference.
The graceful manner in which Venus bends towards Adonis shows her quality of being a goddess. Similarly, the tanned and muscular Adonis represents the strength of the mortal man that a goddess fell in love with. Against the beautifully painted sky, Adonis appears even more elegant and determined.
In spite of their differences and similarities, both paintings convey the same message. Fate is the dominant force in the lives of both lovers, leaving even the goddess helpless. Both paintings depict the goddess of love pleading for her mortal lover’s affection in a vulnerable and powerless manner, yet he gives her no importance.
The artistic abilities of both painters can be compared on a larger scale. However, it is commendable that both artists kept the essence of the myth alive and depicted its message in the most effective way. Both paintings show Venus as helpless, Adonis as strong and irritated, Cupid in utter disapproval of the incident, a gloomy environment filled with tension and tragedy.
The painting is not solely about love but, in fact, depicts the workings of fate and the message that nothing can stand in its way.
References.
Rubens, P. P. (Artist). (1640). Venus and Adonis. [Image of Painting]. The painting is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was retrieved on May 19, 2009 from http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rubens/23mythol/42mythol.html.
Titan (Artist, 1635) created the painting Venus and Adonis,” which is currently housed at the National Gallery of Art in the United States. An image of this painting can be found at http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118063/critique/titian.htm. This information was retrieved on May 19, 2009.
Titan’s painting, Venus and Adonis,” can be found at the National Gallery of Art in the U.S.A. [Image of Painting]. Retrieved on May 19, 2009 from http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=1030.
