Shop art print and framed art Venus at her mirror by Diego Vélasquez

Venus at Her Mirror, also known as Venus in the Mirror or La Venus del espejo in Spanish, is a painting by Diego Velázquez in the National Gallery in London. Executed between 1647 and 1651, and most probably painted during Velázquez's visit to Italy (1649-1651), the painting depicts the goddess Venus from behind, in a lascivious pose, reclining on a bed and looking into a mirror held by her son Cupid. Numerous works ranging from ancient art to the Baroque have been suggested as sources of inspiration for this painting, in particular the Venus nudes of Italian painters, such as Giorgione's Sleeping Venus (completed in 1510) or Titian's Venus of Urbino (completed in 1538) and the ancient statue Sleeping Hermaphrodite. Velázquez combines two traditional poses for Venus in this painting: lying on a bed and looking at her reflection in a mirror. Venus in the Mirror is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez. Because of the very active influence of the Inquisition, such paintings were extremely rare in 17th-century Spanish art. However, nudes by foreign artists were collected by members of the Spanish court, and this painting adorned the walls of the homes of Spanish courtiers until 1813, when it was brought to England to Rokeby Park in Yorkshire. In 1906, the painting was purchased by the National Gallery in London. It was restored after being severely damaged by the suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914. Venus in the Mirror depicts the Roman goddess of love and beauty [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the baroque style.

 

« Venus at her mirror » is kept at National Gallery, London, United Kingdom.

 

Find the full description of Venus at her mirror by Diego Vélasquez on Wikipedia.