On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00419
- Author
- Titian [Vecellio di Gregorio Tiziano] (Italian)
- Title
- The Offering to Venus
- Chronology
- 1518-1519
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 172 cm x 175 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COLECCIONREAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
A multitude of cupids meet to make
an offering of fruit to the statue
of Venus, the goddess of Beauty and
Love. Two nymps appear at the right
of the scene.
The composition is derived from one
of the seventy-four paintings which
Philostratus (ca. 170-245) saw or
imagined, and described in his
Imagines (Imagines I, 6). It was
the first piece Titian was
commissioned to paint for the
“Alabaster Chamber” of Alfonso I de
Este. In April 1518, the painter
received instructions about the
subject matter, and probably a
sketch by Fra Bartolommeo as
well.
Titian gives special importance to
the cupids here. Unlike the
preparatory work, they are the
center of the composition here, and
many of them are derived from
well-known classical statues.
This painting was made along with
other works, such as Bacchanal on
Andros (P418), for the so-called
“Alabaster Chamber” of Alfonso I de
Este in Ferrara. In 1598, the group
of works was moved to the
Aldobrandini Palace in Rome and in
1637, Niccolo Ludovico turned them
over to Felipe IV (1605-1665) by
way of the Count of Monterrey as
payment by the State of Piombino.
The first documented mention of the
present work in Spain is in the
inventories of Madrid's Alcázar
Palace from 1666, 1686 and
1700.
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