Venus and Cupid thumbnail 1
Venus and Cupid thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Venus and Cupid

Statuette
ca. 1700 - ca. 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This figure group representing Venus and Cupid is made by A. Capuz in Valencia, Spain or perhaps in Genoa, Italy, in ca. 1700-1750.
A family of sculptors named Capuz originally from Genoa was active in Valencia in the second half of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century. Its classicizing style is reminiscent of the sixteenth century. The signature is awkwardly placed on the base, which might suggest it was added at a later date, although it may reflect a valid attribution. The artist is an enigma.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleVenus and Cupid (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory
Brief description
Figure group, ivory, Venus and Cupid, by A. Capuz, Spanish (Valencia) or perhaps Italian (Genoa), ca. 1700-50
Physical description
Venus stands looking to her right, resting on her left leg, her right leg bent and stepping forward, her hair in an elaborate topknot; she is naked except for a piece of drapery held in her left hand. Cupid stands at her right side looking down and holding onto the drapery, seemingly trying to pull it away. His quiver of arrows is strapped across his back. Venus point down with her right hand towards him. The right foot of Venus has been broken and repaired. Both figures are on an integral base roughly carved to resemble uneven ground, on which Cupid's bow lies. Signed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 22.5cm
  • Weight: 340kg
  • Base (probable weight) weight: 92kg
Marks and inscriptions
'A. Capuz' (under the base)
Object history
Purchased from Messrs. Leitch and Kerin, London in 1937, for £40.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This figure group representing Venus and Cupid is made by A. Capuz in Valencia, Spain or perhaps in Genoa, Italy, in ca. 1700-1750.
A family of sculptors named Capuz originally from Genoa was active in Valencia in the second half of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century. Its classicizing style is reminiscent of the sixteenth century. The signature is awkwardly placed on the base, which might suggest it was added at a later date, although it may reflect a valid attribution. The artist is an enigma.
Bibliographic references
  • Von Philippovich, Eugen. Elfenbein. Munich: Klinkhardt and Biermann, 1982 (Revised Edition), p. 147
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 338, p. 342
Collection
Accession number
A.10-1937

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Record createdOctober 28, 2002
Record URL
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