Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus

Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus (originally entitled A Nymph and Cupid: 'The Snake in the Grass' or The Snake in the Grass, or Love unloosing the zone of Beauty; later also known as Love and Beauty and Cupid Untying the Girdle of Venus) is a painting by Joshua Reynolds.[1] It shows Cupid untying the girdle of his mother Venus – the latter was modelled on Emma Hart.

Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus
The Hermitage copy.
ArtistJoshua Reynolds
Year1784 (copies 1785 and 1788)
Mediumoil on canvas
LocationTate Britain (copies in Soane Museum and Hermitage Museum)

Provenance

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The earliest version was that exhibited in 1784 and bought by the Tate Gallery in 1871.[2] A 1785 autograph copy made for Reynolds' niece the Marchioness of Thomond was bought at the sale of her collection in May 1821 by Sir John Soane – it is thus now in the Soane Museum.[3] In 1788, Lord Carysfort commissioned an autograph copy to present to Prince Grigory Potemkin, which is now in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.[4][5][6]

References

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  1. ^ "Nacía Sir Joshua Reynolds". Universia España. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus". Tate. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  3. ^ "The Snake in the Grass; or Love unloosing the zone of Beauty". Sir John Soane's Museum London. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus". Hermitage Museum. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus". Web Gallery of Art. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus". Useum. Retrieved 16 April 2018.