I first saw 'Laus Veneris' in 1976 at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle. I last saw it in 2018 at the exhibition of Burne-Jones' works at Tate Britain. It was the painting featured on the posters and on the cover of the catalogue. It's based on a poem by Swinburne in which Venus looses her love and here she sits, all languid and love-lorn, being entertained by her maids while knights ride past outside and are seen through the window. It's incredibly decorative and full of details, just look at that tapestry in the background.
Venus may be languid and a goddess but she has very poor posture and I can't help but tut. She's destined for a bad back one of these days. The next time I'm in Newcastle I'll go to the Laing and give her a talking to.
No comments:
Post a Comment