Venus Complains to Jupiter

Venus Complains to Jupiter is a sophisticated Renaissance print created between 1530 and 1540 by the Master of the Die (Italian, active c. 1530-1560). This piece belongs to a chain of artistic interpretation, having been derived from a design by Michiel Coxcie I, which in turn adapted a composition originally conceived by the High Renaissance master, Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael. Executed as an engraving, the work utilizes warm brown ink pressed onto cream laid paper, a medium that allowed for the high-quality reproduction and distribution of influential Italian designs throughout Europe during the sixteenth century.

The mythological subject matter depicts the Goddess of Love petitioning the King of the Gods, Jupiter, a dramatic scene rendered with the detailed modeling characteristic of the Roman school. As a prolific printmaker, the Die played a vital role in disseminating and popularizing complex artistic compositions that originated in the major workshops of Italy. The creation of such prints ensured that designs by masters like Raphael could be studied and adapted by artists across cultural boundaries, illustrating the dynamic cross-pollination between Italian and Flemish art production during this period.

Now classified among key examples of Renaissance prints, the work is held within the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Although such engravings were highly valued by collectors upon creation, many pieces of this antiquity have entered the public domain, guaranteeing widespread access to the visual culture of 16th-century Italy.