Sacred and Profane Love

Sacred and Profane Love (also called Venus and the Bride) is an oil painting by Titian, painted around 1513–1514. The painting was commissioned by Niccolò Aurelio, a secretary to the Venetian Council of Ten (so identified because his coat of arms appears on the sarcophagus or fountain in the centre of the image) to celebrate his marriage to a young widow, Laura Bagarotto. It supposedly depicts the bride dressed in white, sitting beside Cupid and ... more

Sacred and Profane Love (also called Venus and the Bride) is an oil painting by Titian, painted around 1513–1514. The painting was commissioned by Niccolò Aurelio, a secretary to the Venetian Council of Ten (so identified because his coat of arms appears on the sarcophagus or fountain in the centre of the image) to celebrate his marriage to a young widow, Laura Bagarotto. It supposedly depicts the bride dressed in white, sitting beside Cupid and being assisted by Venus in person. The figure with the vase of jewels symbolizes "fleeting happiness on earth"; and the one bearing the burning flame of God's love symbolizes "eternal happiness in heaven". Art critics have made several analyses and interpretations, among them are: Ingenious Love and Satisfied Love; Prudery and Love; the wise and foolish virgins; the dressed Aphrodite Pandemos (left) opposite the nude Urania. or that it contains a coded message about Bagarotto's father's innocence. Nadia Gaus notes that while the title might at... less