Venus Catching Love or Venus Flogging Love

Art Historical Context

In the opulent world of 18-century French art, *Venus Catching Love or Flogging Love* (. 1741) captures a playful yet poignant mythological moment. Designed by sculptor Edme Bouchardon andfully etched and engraved by François Joullain, Etienneessard, and the Comte de Caylus, this print exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the Rococo era. Bouchardon, renowned for his elegant sculptures blending classical antiquity with graceful modernity, likely drew inspiration from ancient myths, depicting Venus in a dynamic encounter with Cupid—perhaps playfully "catching" or gently "flogging" the mischievous god of love, surrounded by majestic swans symbolizing beauty and transformation. The medium of etching and engraving allowed for exquisite detail and tonal subtlety on a trimmed sheet measuring 12 15/16 × 9 13/16 inches, making fine art accessible beyond original sculptures or paintings. Prints like this proliferated in Enlightenment Paris, adorning salons and fueling cultural conversations about love's triumphs and torments. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1953, this work from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department invites visitors to ponder Venus's timeless duality: nurturer and disciplinarian of desire. (198 words)

About the Artist

Edme Bouchardon|François Joullain|Etienne Fessard|Anne Claude Philippe de Tubières, comte de Caylus · 1698–1762

Born 29 May 1698; died 27 July 1762. Bouchardon was a student of Guillaume Coustou, and won the prix de Rome in 1722. He spent ten years (1722-1732) in Rome, Italy working on various projects for Pope Clement XII. In 1732 Bouchardon was recalled to Paris and named sculptor to the king. Bouchardon became a professor at the Académie Royale in 1746. He worked on an equestrian monument of Louis XV, Ki...