Who commissioned this painting?

Titian painted several versions for wealthy patrons. This version likely belonged to the Spanish royal collection This work dates to 1555.

What does the organist represent?

Possibly the sense of hearing, complementing Venus's visual and tactile beauty. Or he may simply be an admirer enjoying the view.

Where can I see this painting?

At the Museo del Prado. It measures 148 × 217 cm (58.3 × 85.4 inches), located in Madrid, Spain The oil on canvas work is part of their permanent collection.

Where Is Venus with an Organist and Cupid? Museum Location

Titian executed this Venus with an Organist and Cupid around 1555. Venus reclines nude while a musician turns from his organ to gaze at her. Cupid whispers in her ear or crowns her with flowers. Through the window, a formal garden with couples strolling extends toward distant mountains.

The painting's meaning remains debated. Is this an allegory of music and love, with the organist representing hearing and Venus representing sight and touch? Or simply an erotic scene thinly veiled by mythological pretense? The musician's frankly appreciative gaze suggests the latter.

Titian painted several versions of this composition for various patrons. The Prado holds this version, one of the finest explorations of Venetian sensuality.

Venus with an Organist and Cupid

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Where to See It

The Artist

More by Titian

Sacred and Profane Love

Christ and the Adulteress

Madonna and Child with Sts Anthony of Padua and Roch

The Concert

Also at Museo del Prado, Madrid

Descent from the Cross

Artemisia

Adam and Eve

A Soldier

Related Renaissance Works

The Adoration of the Magi

The Birth of Venus

The School of Athens

Pallas and the Centaur

The Alba Madonna

Sistine Madonna

Laocoön

Salvator Mundi

About Venus with an Organist and Cupid

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