Venus and Adonis
- Antonio Enríquez
- Work Locations: Guadalajara, Mexico
- Active Years: 1722-1787
Antonio Enríquez, Venus and Adonis, 1735. Oil paint on canvas; 21¾ × 30 in. Gift of Horace and Jane Day, 1987.191.
Commissioned by a wealthy Spaniard or Creole living in Mexico, this canvas and it's mate (1987.192) would have likely been hung on the wall in a private residence. The classical subject matter illustrates stories of Venus, the goddess of love. As the intellectual ideas of the Enlightenment spread from Europe to its colonies in the 1700s there was an increased interest in secular themes such as the classics, science, and portraiture.
These works signed by Mexican artist Antonio Enríquez were painted after European engravings which were transported to the Americas and used by artists for sources of composition and iconography. The original paintings (1621-1633), from which the engravings were made, are by the Italian artist Franceso Albani and now hang in the Louvre in Paris. The Enríquez family of artists lived and worked in Mexico in the mid 1700s. The Denver Art Museum has three paintings by Antonio Enríquez (1987.191, 1987.192, 2015.552) and two others (2013.303, 2013.349) by his presumed brother, Nicolas Enríquez.
--Julie Wilson Frick and Donna Pierce, 2015
- Painting a New World: Mexican Art and Life 1521 - 1821, Denver Art Museum, April 3 - July 25, 2004.
Some images in our online collection are at thumbnail size, in accordance with AAMD guidelines, because they are protected by copyright. The Denver Art Museum respects the rights of artists or their representatives who retain the copyright to their work. Other images represent the best photography available and should be used as reference images only. Please complete the Image Rights Request form if you want to request a high resolution image.