Aphrodite and Adonis

Aphrodite (Venus) is supposed to have been hit by one of the arrows of her son Eros (Cupid). For this reason she fell in love with Adonis. During one of the goddess’s travel in her winged car pulled by swans, she heard the screams of pain of her beloved one mortally wounded by a wild boar.

Afrodite (Vénus) ter-se-á ferido numa das setas de seu filho Eros (Cupido). Por essa razão apaixonou-se por Adónis. Durante uma deslocação da deusa no seu carro alado puxado por cisnes apercebeu-se dos gritos de dor do seu amado mortalmente ferido por javali.

Dirk Quade van Ravensteyn (ca 1576-1612)-'Aphrodite, Adonis and Eros'-oil on canvas   Paris-Musée du Louvre

François Lemoyne (1688-1757)-'Aphrodite, Adonis'-oil on canvas-1729  

(afrter) Joseph Heintz the elder (1564-1609)-'Aphrodite, Adonis'-oil on canvas-1603

Pyotr Ivanovich Sokolov (1753-1791)-'Aphrodite, Adonis'-oil on canvas-1782  

Jacopo Amigoni (1622-1752)-'Aphrodite, Adonis'-oil on canvas    München-Alte Pinakothek

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

Afrodite e Eros (Aphrodite and Eros)

Na mitologia grega Afrodite (αφροδιτη), beldade originária de Chipre, era a deusa da beleza e do amor. Informa uma lenda que Cronos castrou Urano, pai dos Titãs e deitou os seus testículos ao mar. Estes ao caírem provocaram ondas (aphros) e do choque nasceu Afrodite ('espuma do mar'). Terá casado com Hefestos e este seria o pai de Eros. Mencionam-se diversas ligações amorosas. O panteão romano adoptou-a com o nome de Vénus e Eros como Cupido.

In Greek mythology Aphrodite (αφροδιτη), a beauty from Cyprus, was the goddess of beauty and love. According to a legend Cronus castrated Uranus, the Titans’ father, and threw his testicles into the sea. Their fall into the water caused waves (aphros), and Aphrodite emerged from the shock ('sea foam'). She married Hephaestus who would be Eros’ father. It is said she had a lot of liaisons. The Roman Pantheon adopted her as Venus and Eros as Cupid.

Johann Liss (ca 1590-1631)-'Venus in front of the mirror'-oil on canvas-(1625-1626) Firenze-Galleria degli Uffizi

Lorenzo Lotto (ca 1480-1550)-'Venus and Cupid' New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art

Alessandro Allori (1535-1607)-'Venus and Cupid' Montpellier-Musée Fabre

Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734)-'Venus and Cupid'-oil on canvas-ca 1713 London- Chiswick House

Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741)-'Aphrodite and Eros'-oil on prepared MDF board