Venere Cyprorum regina · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Venere Cyprorum regina
Subject: Venus; Infidelity; Famous Women; Gods; Goddesses; Brothels; Important Women; Roman Mythology
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Rome; Italy; Cyprus
Description: The goddess Venus is depicted on the left side of the engraving wearing a crown and holding a scepter in her right hand. Her son, Cupid, is depicted walking alongside her with his bow and arrows in hand and his wings erected in the air. The right side of the engraving also depicts Venus as she commits adultery with her half-brother, Mars. They are illustrated laying down wrapped in each other’s embrace. Venus’ husband, Vulcan, had walked in on the adulterous crime. He is illustrated leaning over Venus and Mars. There are unidentified figures in the background of the engraving in the top right corner. Boccaccio explains that Venus was highly adored in Cyprus as well as Rome, and he chose to write on her for her beauty. He criticizes her highly due to her invention of brothels.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18129
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18129_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Venus; Infidelity; Famous Women; Gods; Goddesses; Brothels; Important Women; Roman Mythology