Venus entrusting Cupid to Time
This composition celebrates the birth of a child, whom Venus consigns to Saturn in his role as Father Time. The Graces sprinkle roses, and the doves that draw Venus' chariot kiss overhead. The child was once identified as Cupid, yet his lack of wings and the presence beneath him of a winged infant with a quiver play down that interpretation. On the other hand, the winged child may be delivering the sheaf of arrows—which seems too heavy for him—to the newborn. Other suggestions for the baby's identity are Venus' son Aeneas—an appropriate subject if the room contained stories from Virgil's Aeneid—or a son from the noble family that commissioned the work.
Artwork Details
- Title: Venus entrusting Cupid to Time
- Artist: Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (Italian, Venice 1727–1804 Venice)
- Artist: After Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, Venice 1696–1770 Madrid)
- Date: 1758–80
- Medium: Etching; second state of three (Succi)
- Dimensions: Plate: 17 13/16 × 11 7/8 in. (45.2 × 30.1 cm)
Sheet: 18 7/16 x 12 1/16 in. (46.8 x 30.6 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1957
- Object Number: 57.619.5
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
1696–1770
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
1775
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.