Venus and Cupid with Latin Motto – Antique Engraving Possibly by Hans Sebald Beham

Description

Venus and Cupid with Latin Motto – Antique Engraving Possibly by Hans Sebald Beham

This Venus and Cupid engraving, possibly by Hans Sebald Beham (1500–1550), presents a finely detailed mythological scene in miniature format.

Venus stands beside an ornamental pedestal, accompanied by Cupid carrying his quiver. On the left, a landscape with fortified buildings and small figures introduces depth and activity into the composition. Closely worked hatching models the figures and enriches the architectural setting.

The pedestal bears a decorative mask, a monogram-like device and the Latin motto “AVDACES VENVS IPSA IVVAT”, meaning “Venus herself favours the bold.”

Renaissance in character, the composition will appeal to collectors of European prints and classical mythology. The precise date of this impression remains undetermined.

Reported provenance

The seller acquired this sheet approximately fifteen years ago as part of a group of more than 800 prints from an old collection. According to annotations remembered on some sheets within that group, the former collector purchased prints from Pierre-Jean Mariette (1694–1774). This connection is not documented for the present sheet.

Printed image dimensions: 7.9 × 5.4 cm.

Condition

A diagonal restoration is visible in the upper left section. The paper shows spotting, uneven toning and signs of age. An unidentified collector’s stamp is present at the lower right. There are annotations on the reverse, and the print has a mount. Please examine the detailed photographs to assess its condition.

The vine leaves appearing in some photographs are digital additions and are not present on the actual engraving.