Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus

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Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus: Peter Paul Rubens

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Art Type: Oil Painting
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Peter Paul Rubens Oil Painting - Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus

Keywords: Sine, Cerere, Baccho, friget, Venus

Work Overview: Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus
Peter Paul Rubens
Date: c.1614
Style: Baroque
Genre: mythological painting
Media: oil, panel
Dimensions: 79 x 52 cm

Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus, Latin for Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes,[2] or Sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus,[3] is a quotation from the Roman comedian Terence (c. 195/185 – c. 159 BC) that became a proverb in the Early Modern period. Its simplest level of meaning is that love needs food and wine to thrive. It was sometimes shown in art, especially in the period 1550–1630, in Northern Mannerism in Prague and the Low Countries, as well as by Rubens. It has been suggested that the concentration of images by the Haarlem Mannerists reflects the patronage of the powerful brewers of Haarlem.

The phrase derives from Terence's comedy Eunuchus, in which Chremes says to Pythias in the fifth scene of the fourth act (732), verbum hercle hoc verum erit "sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus" (That saying, "Without Ceres and Liber, Venus freezes" is absolutely true!"). Thus the phrase was probably a well-known proverb at the time as well. Chremes makes use of it to declare how Pythias seems even more beautiful than usual to him during the rowdy partying after a large meal.[6] Liber, the son of Ceres and god of human prosperity (and also of wine), was later replaced with Bacchus. The phrase is found in a similar form in Cicero,[7] who quotes it as an example of the stylistic device of metonymy.[8] In later times it was universally attributed to Terence.

Depictions in art divide into those showing Venus, typically with an accompanying Cupid, either "freezing", without food and drink (or much in the way of clothing), or more comfortable when supplied with them, usually by the other gods in person.[15] The latter type is more common, but Bartholomeus Spranger and Rubens are among the artists who used both types.[16] Like the Feast of the Gods, another subject popular among the Northern Mannerists, the subject offers the combination of a relatively obscure classical reference and the opportunity for plentiful nudity. The subject appears in paintings, drawings and prints, and compositions are often copied between these media, and between artists.

Initially the depiction of this motif were closely tied to text and was found mostly in emblem books, with the first appearance in the Picta poesis of 1552, by Barthélémy Aneau.[17] The Mikrokosmos, an emblem book of 1579 by the Dutch poet Laurentius Haechtanus may be the first depiction of the shivering Venus, as Ceres and Bacchus walk away.[18] The Latin text makes clear that the motif is to be understood as a warning against excessive feasting and drinking because they stimulate sexual desire.

Explain, Cytheran Venus, and Cupid too: Why do you warm your own feet, warm your own hands? Perhaps because eloquent Iacchos is not helping you? Isn't dusty Ceres around either? Where sobriety reigns, harmful lust freezes and no war is waged against the curier.[19] Wherever powerful drunkeness and excess reign, the mother of adultery begins her ruthless war.

Rubens employed the motif repeatedly in different ways, including the visibly freezing Venus frigida, a version with Amor who desperately attempts to start a fire, and one with Venus at the Moment maßvollen Erwärmens und ruhigen Erwachens (Moment of modestly warming and quietly waking) in which she hesitantly accepts a wine cup from Bacchus.[31] Italian artists rarely depicted it, whether because it came from the mainly northern tradition of emblem books or because the subject had less resonance in a warmer climate.[32] Exceptions are a painting by Pietro Liberi and a print by Agostino Carracci after one by Goltzius.[33] After the baroque period the motif no longer appears often.

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