Artwork Page for Venus at the Forge of Vulcan

Details / Information for Venus at the Forge of Vulcan

Venus at the Forge of Vulcan

18th century

Louis Félix de La Rue

(French, 1731–1777)
Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, and brown wash (bistre) with red chalk and traces of graphite
Support
; secondary support
Measurements
Sheet: 19.6 x 32.2 cm (7 11/16 x 12 11/16 in.); Overall: 19.9 x 32.6 cm (7 13/16 x 12 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2017.212
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Venus, the goddess of love, descends on a cloud into the forge of Vulcan, the god of fire and metalworking. This scene illustrates an episode from Virgil’s Aeneid in which Venus has come to collect the suit of armor she asked Vulcan to make for her son, Aeneas. Several putti on the left play with the finished product.
A horizontally oriented drawing in shades of brown ink and wash depicts figures with light skin tones. On the left, a nude Venus sits among clouds, pointing toward a muscular, bearded Vulcan holding a hammer. Behind him, men labor in a forge. In the foreground, winged, pudgy children move a helmet and surround a smoking tripod bowl. Fine lines and washes define the soft clouds and muscular anatomy throughout the scene.

Venus at the Forge of Vulcan

18th century

Louis Félix de La Rue

(French, 1731–1777)
France, 18th century

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