Venus

About this artwork

hoogte 160 mm x breedte 132 mm

Art Historical Context

This delicate pen drawing by Odoardo Fialetti portrays Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Created during the artist’s lifetime (1583–1638), the compact work measures only 160 132 millimeters, inviting close viewing of its fine linear details. Fialetti, active in Bologna and Venice, was known for his drawings and prints that often explored mythological and figural subjects, reflecting the enduring Renaissance fascination with classical themes. Executed solely in pen, the medium highlights the artist’s confident draftsmanship. Quick, economical strokes could define form and suggest movement or drapery without the need for color, making such works both studies and independent pieces prized by collectors. In the early seventeenth century, small-scale drawings like this one circulated among artists and patrons, serving as records of invention and technical skill. Though modest in size, the drawing connects viewers to a long tradition of depicting Venus as an ideal of grace and harmony. Its intimate scale encourages quiet appreciation of how a few well-placed lines can evoke both divine elegance and human presence.

About the Artist

Odoardo Fialetti · 1573–1638

Comment on works: Painter; Etcher