| These two pictures were painted about two years apart during Holbein's German years. "Classical" subjects were very popular at the time, which then meant illustrating a classical story or historical incident in the clothing of contemporary people.. On the left is "Venus and Amor" painted in 1524. I would hazard a guess that little "Cupid" is the son of the unknown Lady. Two years later Holbein painted Lais of Corinth. My guess is that this painting was based on drawings made at the time "Venus" was painted. I find these two views with their subtle differences very facinating. I wonder if the bare forearms on "Venus" were viewed as erotic attributes of the goddess of love, or whether Holbein just felt it to be more "classical." Perhaps a little of each. |
