Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Venus in her Chariot from a set of Mythological Subjects after Raphael

designed 1686, woven 1689–92
Not on view
A reclining river god and a seated nymph, located within a gentle pastoral landscape, look up at Venus. The Roman goddess of love is seated in her chariot, with her son, Cupid, on her lap, fêted by an entourage of winged putti-cherubs. The dolphin at her feet alludes to the legendary birth of her Greek counterpart, Aphrodite, who sprung from the foam of the sea.

This tapestry is from a set of eight, traditionally called Les Sujets de la Fable d’après Raphaël, made for the French king, Louis XIV. The designs for all eight tapestries were inspired in part upon drawings then in Louis XIV's collection- now preserved in the Louvre- which were all, at that time, attributed to Raphael. The design source of the representation of Venus and Cupid in the chariot is a drawing in the Louvre now associated with Primaticcio; the figure of the river god is based, in reverse, on Raphael’s design recorded in his fresco of the Council of the Gods in the Villa Farnesina, Rome.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Venus in her Chariot from a set of Mythological Subjects after Raphael
  • Artist: Designed after drawing previously attributed to Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) (Italian, Urbino 1483–1520 Rome)
  • Artist: Designed after a drawing now attributed to Francesco Primaticcio (Italian, Bologna 1504/5–1570 Paris)
  • Designer: Possibly designed by Antoine Coypel (French, Paris 1661–1722 Paris)
  • Artist: Cartoon painted by François Bonnemer (French, 1638–1689)
  • Manufactory: Woven at the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins (French, established 1662)
  • Maker: Woven in the workshop directed by Jean Le Febvre the Elder (active 1662–1700)
  • Date: designed 1686, woven 1689–92
  • Culture: French, Paris
  • Medium: Wool, silk, silver thread (23-26 warps per inch, 10-11 per cm.)
  • Dimensions: 13 ft. 9 1/2 in. × 10 ft. 3 1/2 in. (420.4 × 313.7 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
  • Credit Line: Gift of Julia A. Berwind, 1953
  • Object Number: 53.225.6
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Venus and Adonis from a set of Mythological Subjects after Raphael
designed 1686, woven 1686–90
Fragments of a Lower Border
Tapestry designed 1684–86 by Jean Lemoine de Lorrain (1638–1713)
1687–91, with modern frame
Costume Armor in the Classical Style, Hallé French, Helmet: linen, papier-mâché, bole, gold leaf, graphite; tunic: silk, cotton, metal coils and spangles, metallic yarn, French, Paris
Costume Armor in the Classical Style
Helmet includes original paper label of Hallé
ca. 1788–90
The Unicorn Purifies Water (from the Unicorn Tapestries), Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
The Unicorn Purifies Water (from the Unicorn Tapestries)
French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven)
1495–1505
Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (1707–1724), Jean Drouart French, Steel, gold, brass, silk, cotton, metallic yarn, paper, French, Paris
Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (1707–1724)
Armorer Signature probably refers to Jean Drouart
dated 1712

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.