Venus and Adonis

Cambiaso's Venus and Adonis, undated and without a documented collection, belongs to the Ovidian mythological repertoire that formed a standard part of any Mannerist painter's production. The story of Venus and Adonis — the goddess's love for the mortal hunter, his death by a boar, her grief — was among the most frequently treated mythological subjects, providing opportunities for both sensuous figure display and emotional narrative. Cambiaso's Genoese Mannerist approach to mythology combined the influence of Perino del Vaga's elegant court style with his own developing interest in dramatic lighting and simplified form. Without a date, the work is difficult to place precisely within his career, but the subject and treatment are consistent with his mature mythological production of the 1560s and 1570s. The lack of collection documentation is not unusual for works that have passed through numerous private hands over centuries.

Oil on canvas with Cambiaso's characteristic handling of intertwined figures — the compositional challenge of the close physical relationship between Venus and Adonis is met with the bold draftsmanly approach that distinguishes his figure groups from Florentine Mannerist delicacy.