Adonis and Aphrodite (Adónis e Afrodite)

The Phoenician and Greek mythologies show that Adonis was born out of the incestuous love of Ciniras, king of Cyprus, and his daughter Myra. Adonis was a young man of rare beauty, so Persephone and Aphrodite fought for him. Zeus stipulated that Adonis would spend a third of the year (winter) with the first and the remaining time with Aphrodite, his favourite mistress. He became a symbol of vegetal activity.


As mitologias Fenícia e Grega indicam que Adónis terá nascido dos amores incestuosos do rei Ciniras de Chipre e de sua filha Mirra. Jovem de rara beleza terá sido disputado por Perséfone e Afrodite. Zeus terá estipulado que passaria um terço do ano (Inverno) com a primeira e o restante tempo com Afrodite, a sua amante predilecta. Tornou-se símbolo da actividade vegetal.

Abraham Janssens (1575-1632)-'Adonis and Aphrodite'-oil on canvas Wien-Kunsthistoriches Museum Gemäldegalerie

Tiziano Vecellio (1488-1576)-'Adonis and Aphrodite'- oil on canvas Madrid-Museo del Prado

Antonio Canova (1757-1822)-'Adonis and Aphrodite'-sculpture marble

Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem (1562-1638)-'Adonis and Aphrodite'-oil on canvas Caen-Musée des Beaux-Arts

Luca Cambiaso (1522-1585)-'Adonis and Aphrodite'-oil on canvas-(1605-1609) St Petersburg-Hermitage