Venus Clipping Cupid's Wings, first plate

Venus Clipping Cupid's Wings, first plate is a lyrical and expertly executed etching created by the esteemed French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875) between 1869 and 1870. While Corot is historically renowned as a master of the landscape genre and a key figure in the Barbizon School, this work demonstrates his proficiency in printmaking late in his career. The delicate nature of the image is amplified by the choice of materials: the etching is printed on fine, off-white Japanese paper, a stock favored by 19th-century printmakers for its texture and capacity to hold subtle ink tones.

The subject is drawn from classical mythology, featuring Venus, the goddess of love, restraining her often-mischievous son, Cupid. The specific action of clipping the young god's wings is a common allegorical theme, symbolizing the tempering of untamed passion and impulsive love. Corot rendered this intimate scene with a classical grace, utilizing the etching needle to create soft outlines and gentle shading rather than the stark contrasts often associated with the print medium. This approach gives the figures a sense of atmospheric depth, characteristic of the soft focus found in his contemporaneous paintings.

This highly finished plate serves as a crucial example of figure studies within Corot’s diverse artistic output and highlights the sustained influence of classical themes within 19th-century France. As a prominent work in the history of prints, this piece is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The longevity and historical importance of such masterworks mean that quality images of the composition often reside within the public domain, ensuring broad accessibility for researchers and art enthusiasts studying the era of French Romanticism and early Impressionism.