Giovanni Battista Paggi (Genoa 1554 – Genoa 1627) Venus, Bacchus and Ceres (Parallel Title: 'Sine Cerere et Baccho, friget Venus') Oil on canvas 103 x 78 - Framed 125 x 100 Artwork details (click HERE) 'Sine Cerere et Baccho, friget Venus' is a Latin quote from a comedy by Terence (2nd century BC), which became a popular Dutch proverb and gave the title to our painting. It literally translates as 'Without Ceres and Bacchus, love cools down' and its simplest level of meaning, naturally ironic, is that love in its carnal sense needs food and wine to thrive. In art, it became a very popular theme, especially between the 16th and 17th centuries in the Netherlands and in the circle of Mannerist artists at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, as it offered the combination of a relatively intriguing classical reference and the opportunity to depict abundant nudity. Regardless of its decorative character, this type of painting also had an erotic connotation, not uncommon even in a culture dominated by the restrictions of the Counter-Reformation. In our painting, the seductive Venus, hungry and thirsty, is surrounded by the god Bacchus, wrapped in vine shoots passing her a sprig of grapes, and Ceres, with a crown of wheat and a cornucopia full of fruit. Also Amor, at her side, proves to be hungry, while trying to reach his mother's arm to voraciously grab the grapes. In particular, we are facing a very famous iconographic invention of the painter Abraham Bloemart (c. 1600), which was already popularized at the time by an engraving by Jan Saenredam (1565-1607), then taken up by numerous artists such as J. Saenredam, Joachim von Sandrart, Bartholomäus Spranger URL: https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/stampe/schede/MZ020-00017/ Also in Italy, especially in the northern part influenced by Flemish instances, the subject was particularly appreciated, as in our case by an author from the Genoese school of the early seventeenth century. Specifically, the painting is attributed to the Genoese Giovanni Battista Paggi (Genoa 1554 – Genoa 1627), who here reprised it with his typical refined style, well calibrated to the Baroque exuberance. In our case we find a pleasant combination between the typically Genoese manner, the Flemish one, absorbed by the rich community of other northerners active in Genoa, and the Tuscan one, assimilated during his stay in Florence which lasted over a decade. We also find a luminism of Caravaggesque matrix that particularly highlights the theatricality of the scene. Author of works mainly on religious themes, there is no shortage of splendid mythological creations in his collection (see Venus in Vulcan's Forge, Private Collection or Venus and Cupid kissing D'Arte Banca Carige Collection). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. If you wish to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you in our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you! Contact us for any information or to organize a visit, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/