“Venus Consoling Cupid Stung by a Bee”
“Venus Consoling Cupid Stung by a Bee” is a neoclassical style oil on canvas painting by the American-born history painter, Benjamin West, from 1786.
West did several paintings on the subject of Venus and her son, Cupid. In this piece, Venus is tending to her wounded child. It was inspired by the poem “The Wounded Cupid” by the Greek poet, Anacreon. Anacreon lived in the fifth to sixth century and was mostly known for his lyrics to drinking songs, of all things.
During this time in England, Raphael’s legacy was having a great impact on the art scene. The members of the Royal Academy of Art highly venerated this Italian Renaissance master. West had been living in England since 1763, and emulated Raphael’s style in his own work. In England, he was affectionately known as the “American Raphael”. High praise, indeed.
This painting is thought to have been loosely modeled in style after the frescoes that Raphael painted on Villa Farnesina in Rome, Italy, detailing the story of Cupid and Psyche. Particularly the panel titled “Venus Showing Psyche to Cupid”, which has a similar composition and color scheme, though West’s colors are more saturated and his brushstrokes finer.
“Venus Consoling Cupid Stung by a Bee” is on display at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
For more on Benjamin West, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
