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The Rokeby Venus (The Toilet of Venus)
Diego Velázquez · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599–1660)
- Date
- 1647–1651
- Dimensions
- 122.5 x 177 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
The Rokeby Venus shows the goddess of love lying on a bed with her back to the viewer, gazing into a mirror held by her son Cupid. It is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez, painted at a time when such subjects were frowned upon by the Spanish Inquisition.
A closer look
The long, curving line of Venus's back and hips is set against grey-white sheets and a deep red curtain. Cupid, his wrists bound by a pink ribbon, holds the mirror at an angle, but the face reflected in it is blurred and seems to look out at us rather than at the goddess. Velázquez painted with loose, fluid strokes, giving the skin a soft, living warmth. Without mythological attributes, she seems less a goddess than a real woman, which gives the picture its intimacy.
More by Diego Velázquez
In this gallery
The Surrender of Breda
Portrait of Innocent X
Las Meninas
Old Woman Frying Eggs
The Spinners (The Fable of Arachne)
Portrait of Juan de Pareja