Part I of a series of posts exploring how 'love and music' is depicted in art history, with special reference to the iconography of Aphrodite-Venus, the Greek-Roman Goddess of Love. Music cannot be far away because 'music is the food of love'. For a full discussion, see Blog 'Iconography in Art History' http://kbender.blogspot.be/?view=magazine

1. Venus musician
A selection of the iconography of Venus with a musical instrument. Discussion at
http://kbender.blogspot.be/2015/03/love-and-music-part-i-venus-musician.html?view=magazine
Story by: K. Bender

2. FENDULUS, Georgius Zothorus: Liber astrologiae
1220 - 1230
Illustrations from the manuscript of Georgius Zothorus Zaparus Fendulus 'Liber astrologiae' Sicily, XIIIth century.
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF), Richelieu Manuscrits Latin 7330, Fol. 53 'Astrologie'
A. Vénus (dignité) Image 68
B. Vénus (débilité) Image 69.
C. Vénus (dignité) Image 70.
D. Vénus (débilité) Image 71.

3. Anonymous: Venus playing a musical instrument
1325 - 1374
Numerous coloured drawings , 27 x 18 cm, in a parchment codex 'Treatise on astrology' in Latin of Southern Netherlands,
date 2nd or 3rd quarter of the 14th century, by the leading astrologer of the Muslim world Albumazar (born Aug. 10, 787,
Balkh, Khor?s?n [now in Afghanistan]?died March 9, 886, al-W?sit, Iraq).
London, British Library ms Sloane 3983
ff. 42v-43 Miniature of Venus playing a musical instrument with her ruling Zodiac signs, and in detriment.

4. Master of Evert Zoudenbalch: Venus holds a portative organ and a
mirror
1465 - 1470
An illumination bei a Dutch artist, known as the Master of Evert Zoudenbalch (ca.I465-1470), in the manuscript
Wilhelmi Walteri de Zirixsee descriptio terre sancte.Broeder Gheraerts Naturkunde.
(Cod. Guelf. 18.2 Aug. 4°; Heinemann-Nr. 3133)
Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek, Handschriftendatenbank

5. VAN HEMESSEN, Jan: An allegory of love and music
1525 - 1574
A painting oil on panel, 97 x 108 cm, attributed to Jan sanders Van Hermessen (ca.1500 Antwerpen ? ca.1575).
London, Christie's, 10 Dec 2003, lot 25.
Note: * the dog, attribute of Venus; * a small oval painting on top: 'Venus and Mars'?
Ref. RKD
See also blog.naver.com
This blog shows a large collection of paintings featuring women with music instruments and musicians.

6. BALDUNG GRIEN, Hans: Allegorie der Musik
1529
Painting, oil on panel, 82 x 35.9 cm, also entitled 'Venus'or 'Frau mit Notenbuch, Viola da Gamba und Katze' by
Hans BALDUNG GRIEN (c1480 Strassburg-1545).
Alte Pinakothek München. Bayerische Staatssammlungen, inv. 1423
WikiArt
The painter August Bresgen made a copy in 1927 entitled 'Muse' (see 1927).

7. MICHELI, Parrasio: Ritratto femminile con strumento musicale
1540 - 1578
Paintings attributed to Parrasio Micheli (ca. 1516 Venezia-1578 Venezia), where a woman is playing the lute, alone or
accompanied with Cupid or with others. It is common to call her 'Venus' if accompanied by Cupid.
The numerous known copies attest to how popular the composition must have been. Some paintings are also attributed to
Simone Peterzano: see event 1565 PETERZANO, Simone.
Ref. Fondazione Federico Zeri
A. 'Ritratto femminile con strumento musicale (+ Cupid)' oil on canvas, 120 x 103.5 cm,
Galleria Colonna, Roma, Inventory number: 77959
B. 'Concerto'oil on canvas, 115 x 155 cm. Previously London, collection L. Currie.
C. 'Ritratto di donna con liuto' oil on canvas, 94 x 81.2 cm. London, Christie's 27 June 1969, lot nr 111.
D. 'Ritratto di donna con liuto' oil on canvas, location unknown.

9. JAMET, Etienne: Venus and Cupid
1550
A relief by the French sculptor Etienne JAMET (1515 - 1565), alias Esteban JAMETE, working in Spain since 1535,
shows 'Venus playing a string instrument while Cupid presents his arrow'.
The relief is in Ubeda, Palacio Francisco de los Cobos.
Ref. Navarrete Orcera A R (2005) La mitologia en los palacios espanolas. Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia,
Ubeda. p.20-23, fig.II.9

10. PETERZANO, Simone: Venus playing the lute, with Cupid
1565 - 1570
Paintings attributed to the Italian painter Simone Peterzano (c. 1540 Bergamo - c. 1596 Milano) where a woman is playing
the lute, alone or accompanied with Cupid or with others. It is common to call her 'Venus' if accompanied by Cupid.
The numerous known copies attest to how popular the composition must have been.
But many of these copies are also attributed to Parrasio Micheli (c1516-1578) or to the School of Veronese (Paolo Caliari).
See event 1540 MICHELI, Parrasio
A. 'Venus Playing the Lute, with Cupid', oil on canvas, 110 × 97.4 cm, Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 85
B. 'Ritratto di donna con liuto' (+ Cupid), oil on canvas. Firenze, Salocchi (before 1973).
C. 'Concerto (with Cupid and two additional figures behind)', oil on canvas, 105 x 97.5 cm. New York, Sotheby Parke-
Bernet, 22 January 1976, lot nr 19.

11. SAEDELER (I), Raphael: Amor Fucatus
1591
or 'Allegory of the danger of deceitful love', engraving on copper, 21.8 x 13.9 cm, by Raphael Saedeler (I) (1560
Antwerpen-1628 Venezia or 1632 München) after a design or painting by Hans von Aachen, not traced.
Braunschweig, Herzog August Bibliothek Signatur Graph. A1: 2418.5

12. COLLAERT (II), Jan: Vénus et l'Amour avec violon
1600
An engraving by Jan Baptist Collaert (1566 Antwerpen-1628).
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Ref. Mirimonde, A. P. de (1977) 'Astrologie et musique' Ed. Minkoff, Genève. p. 122, pl.64

13. ISAACSZ, Pieter-Fransz: Venus and Cupid
1600
'Venus - wearing her girdle or breastband - reading, with a lute at her feet, accompanied by Cupid', painting oil on copper,
32.4 x 24.2 cm, by the Danish-Dutch painter Pieter-Fransz ISAACSZ (1569 Helsingor-1625).
Sold in New York, Sotheby's 27 April 2004, sale-lot nrs N08002-24

14. RUBENS, P. P.
1617 - 1618
'Allegory of hearing', oil on panel, 64 x 109.5 cm, one of five paintings symbolizing the five senses, by Jan BRUEGHEL (I)
(1568 Brussel-1625 Antwerpen) and Pieter-Paul RUBENS (1577 Siegen-1640 Antwerpen).
Madrid, Museo del Prado, inv. P1395.
For full information about this series of the five senses, see the 'catalogue raisonné' of Jan BRUEGEL (I) in Jan Brueghel
Wiki.
Jan BRUEGHEL (II) made a repetition of this painting: see 1650.

15. LANFRANCO, Giovanni: Venere che suona l'arpa (La Musica)
1630 - 1634
'Venus playing the harp (Allegory of Music)', 1630-34, oil on canvas, 214 x 150 cm, by Giovanni Lanfranco (1582
Parma - 1647 Roma).
Roma, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica (Galleria Barberini), inv 2411
Arte.it

16. BRUEGHEL (II), Jan: Sense of hearing
1650
Painting, oil on copper, 59.3 x 90.2 cm, by Jan Brueghel (II) (1601 Antwerpen-1678). A repetition of the painting by his
father and P.P. Rubens (see 1617). The personages were possibly painted by others.
Sold in London by Bernheimer-Colnaghi in 2003.
Blog.naver.com
This blog shows a large collection of paintings featuring women with music instruments and musicians.

17. NETSCHER, Caspar: Frau von Montespan die Harfe spielend
1671
Painting, oil on copper, 48 x 37 cm, by Caspar Netscher (Heidelberg 1639-d. Den Haag 1684).
Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, inv.1351
Foto Marburg Aufname 1906-08
Ref.A.P. de Mirimonde 'La musique dans les allégories de l'amour' Gazette des Beaux-Arts 1966/67, p.274, fig.16<
Mme de Montespan en harpiste, considérée ici comme une Vénus>

18. Anonymous French: Venus with Amor
1750
Venus seated, holding a lyre in her right hand.
A kind of medallion, French possibly, 18th century probably.
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ref. Warburg Photographic Collection
University of London

19. DOYEN, Gabriel: Les charmes de l'harmonie
1761
Painting by Gabriel-François DOYEN (1726-1806) entitled 'Les charmes de l'harmonie, representée par Vénus ailée qui
joue de la harpe', a sketch made by Gabriel de SAINT-AUBIN (1724-1780) in the catalogue of the Salon de Paris 1761
n°93.
Ref. p.63 Dacier E (1993) Catalogues des ventes et livrets de salons illustrés par Gabriel de Saint-Aubin. 6 volumes. J. Laget,
Nogent-Le-Roi.

20. Anonymous French: Venvs Iocvs Cvpido
1778
Amor, Iocus and Venus (holding a harp). An illustration from Gorlaeus, Abraham 'Cabinet de pierres antiques gravéees ...
tirées du cabinet de Gorlée, & autres célebres cabinets de l'Europe' 2, Paris, 1778, plate CCXLIII (531).
Abraham Gorlaeus or Abraham van Goorle (1549 ? 1608) was a Flemish antiquary. Gorlaeus published Dactyliotheca,
the catalog of engraved gems in his cabinet of curiosities.It was the first extensive repertory of Greco-Roman intaglio gems.
Ref. Warburg Photographic Collection
University of London

21. PRADIER, James: Venus with harp
1850
A statuette, cast, by Jean-Jacques, dit James PRADIER (1790 Genève-1852 Bougival) in the collection of the San
Francisco Art Association and exhibited as n°161 at its 9th Exhibition, San Francisco, California, 1876.
No image available.
Exhibition catalog is available at New York Public Library, New York.
Ref. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian American Art Museum SIRIS: The Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index is a
historical record of artworks exhibited in the United States and Canada up through the Centennial year of 1876

22. HOOPER, William: Venus with a musical instrument
1896
Wood-engraving, 12.5 x 17.2 cm, by William Harcourt Hooper (1834 London? - 1912) after a design by Edward Burne-
Jones (1833 Birmingham-1898 London) for the Kelmscott Chaucer: p.22, 'The Knight's Tale', with three figures: a blind-
fold Cupid, Venus with a musical instrument, and an imploring man.
London, British Museum number 1912,0612.311

23. BRESGEN, August: Muse
1929
Painting, oil on wood, 86 x36 cm, by August Bresgen (1888 Holsterhausen-1987 Gauting), copy after Hans Baldung
Grien of 1527 (see there).
Unknown location.

24. KOENIGER, Michael: Venus von Sulzbürg (Lizzy mit Kontrabass)
- 2012
Sculpture by Michael Königer (1959 Dachau-), inaugurated in Mühlhausen, 6th Künstlersymposium.
Ref. Mittelbayerische Zeitung

25. THE END
This presentation was generated by myHistro.com
Author: K. Bender