Abraham Janssens, Ceres, Bacchus and Venus, ca 1610 by Atelier Liesjes

About "Abraham Janssens, Ceres, Bacchus and Venus, ca 1610"

by Atelier Liesjes

About the artwork

The composition takes the form of a mythological scene, with a clear allegorical character. The three deities can be identified by their attributes: on the right, we have Ceres (goddess of crops, of agriculture and of the regenerating powers of nature) carrying a wreath of ears of corn, leaning against a great horn of plenty; Bacchus (god of wine, who could inspire music and poetry), carrying wreaths of wine and raising a cup of wine; Venus (goddess of beauty and erotic love) represented with her two customary doves and flanked by her son, Cupid. Ceres and Bacchus gesture to Venus, in a metaphorical expression of the fact that physical love is alive, along with the pleasures of abundant food and drink; the painting is an excellent example of the praise and joie de vivre of a lecher. Compositionally, Ceres, Bacchus and Venus is an impressive example of complex artistic design. The contours and posture of the characters' bodies, as well as the fragments of colonnaded architecture, all betray the artist's preference for the harmonies of the Italian classical spirit. On the other hand, the horn of plenty and its proximity are in fact a still life with vegetables and fruit painted in the style of the purest Flemish mannerism. Abraham Janssen(s) van Nuyssen (Antwerp, c. 1573 - there, 1632) was a Brabant Baroque painter. Later works are more mythological and religious in nature. His main stylistic features are the sculptural design and dramatic lighting strongly reminiscent of Caravaggio. Also typical are the use of motifs from the High Renaissance and classical sculpture, which he had studied extensively in Italy.