Venus with Cupid and other studies and sketches / Four studies of the proportions of the human head
XVII century. Yellow wash, Pencil, Grey-brown wash on laid paper.Not on display
Venus, half-naked and emerging from her shell throne, turns her head towards Cupid, who approaches her from behind. Attached to the same side of the sheet are two light pencil sketches. One of them represents a seated male with a vespertine inscription and some calculations, and the other, a male torso.
On the reverse side, there are four studies of the proportions of a human head with an explanatory text that reads: Ioan De Arphe y Villafañe, en su tratado de Simetria que Intitula Varia Conmesuracion, en el libro Segundo; (crossed out: ‘da por’) Regla General para el Cuerpo humano las siguientes (crossed out: ‘presentes y siguientes’) operaciones que reducidas y recopiladas se allaran (crossed out: en los siguientes operaciones) en adelante: la opservacion (crossed-out: ‘de la dicha y Para la Inteligencia de que hemos de tratar sera pues la distancia de la linea’) * A B la cual es dividida en 4 partes q llamaremos tercios (crossed out: ‘los quales’) y que serán el norte para tratar (crossed out: ‘de’) la figura pues siendo ellos los q forman la cabeça della como Cabesa emanarán las demás mensuraciones q por ser tan patentes no me detengo en ponderar, como también, por seguir brevedad.
In a note in the margin, referenced in the text with and *, it reads, undoubtedly aiming at inserting these parts, the following: ‘ nos demuestra por Re y * dellos pues sera la línea’. In addition, on the reverse side, the head of a Jesuit saint is depicted with his eyes looking up in prayer.
The set of drawings and notes are important, and they are characteristic of Vicente Salvador Gómez, especially the page with the studies of proportions that undoubtedly made up part of the sketchbook. He prepared this sketchbook, and only few pages were known in the Palace Library. Its contents were brought to light by Sánchez Cantón (1934). Special mention should be given to The Immaculate Conception at the Prado (D02192). Venus and Cupid is a typical work that once again demonstrates his admiration for Nordic Mannerist prints in the style of Spranger and Golzio.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Catálogo de Dibujos. Vol. I. Dibujos españoles siglos XV-XVII, Madrid, Museo del Prado, 1972, p.130
