HENDRICK GOLTZIUS
i 07 Venus and Mars Surprised
by Vulcan
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, white gouache height-
ening, and black chalk, folded into squares, incised for
transfer, lower right corner replaced; 41.6 cm (i6^3 /s in.);
W: 31.3 cm (i2^5 /i6in.)
84.00.810
MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: At bottom left corner, in-
scribed Hk Goltzius in graphite; on mount, at bottom
right corner, collection mark of H. C. Valkema Blouw
(L.2505).
PROVENANCE: Lord Northwick, London (sale, Sothe-
by's, London, November 2, 1920, lot 157); private col-
lection (sale, Beijers, Utrecht, June 5, 1946, lot 55); H. C.
Valkema Blouw, Amsterdam (sale, Frederik Muller,
Amsterdam, March 2-4, 1954, lot 179); private collec-
tion, Dordrecht (sale, Sotheby's, Amsterdam, Novem-
ber 26, 1984, lot 29).
EXHIBITIONS: None.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: F. W. H. Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish
Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450-1700 (Am-
sterdam, 1957), vol. 8, p. 30, under H. 137; E. K.J. Rez-
nicek, Die Zeichnungen von Hendrick Goltzius (Utrecht,
1961), vol. i, pp. 68-69; 73? n°- IO5; 271-272;
W. L. Strauss, Hendrik Goltzius: The Complete Engravings
and Woodcuts (New York, 1977), vol. i, p. 354, no. 216;
H. Mielke, Manierismus in Holland um 1600, exh. cat.,
Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin, 1979, p. 24, under no. 2; K.
Renger and C. Syre, Graphik der Niederlande 1508-1617:
Kupferstiche und Radierungen von Lucas van Ley den bis Hen-
drik Goltzius, exh. cat., Staatliche Graphische Samm-
lung, Munich, 1979, p. 56; W. L. Strauss, The Illustrated
Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists, Hendrik Goltzius (New
York, 1982), vol. 3, 3, p. 122, under no. 139; E. K.J. Rez-
nicek, "Two Drawings in the Uffizi: Goltzius and Wte-
wael," Hoogsteder-Naumann Mercury 2 (1985), pp. 3-8.
THIS DRAWING SERVED AS A STUDY IN REVERSE FOR AN
engraving by Goltzius (B.I39[43] v.3,3) dated 1585. As
has been pointed out by Strauss (1977, vol. i, p. 354),
there are changes in the print. The arrow in Cupid's bow
is now aimed at Mercury, while the cover held by Vulcan
no longer has a checked pattern. In addition Goltzius
both extended and altered the landscape in the distance.
The inscription below the engraving, HGoltzius invenit
sculpsit et divulgavit, certifies that he acted as engraver, de-
signer, and publisher, which would have permitted him
to make alterations of this kind at the last moment, a
point noted by A.-M. Logan.^1
The subject of the drawing and engraving has been
shown by Mielke (1979, no. 2) to be derived from Ho-
mer's Odyssey (8, 266-366). In the drawing Apollo, with
Hercules behind him, is at the left; next to them are Ju-
piter, Mercury, and Neptune. Below, in addition to Vul-
can, Mars, Venus, and Cupid in the foreground, a second
representation of Vulcan can be seen through an opening
at the right. According to Mielke, there is additional by-
play in the form of a discussion between Apollo and
Mercury, the latter affirming his lustful interest in Venus.
In this connection it is noteworthy that Goltzius has Cu-
pid aiming at Mercury in the engraving.
As has been indicated by Reznicek (1961, vol. i, pp.
68-69), this drawing is illustrative of a change in Golt-
zius' style toward the late Mannerism of Spranger. In
1588 he made an engraved copy (6.276(84] v.3,3) of a
drawing of Mars and Venus by Spranger, which he
seems already to have known three years earlier—that is,
at the time he made Venus and Mars Surprised by Vulcan
(Reznicek 1961, vol. i, no. 105). Given the Spranger-
esque subject and style of this engraving, it is possible
that Goltzius added the previously mentioned inscrip-
tion in order to underscore his authorship of both the en-
graving and the original drawing upon which it was
based (Strauss 1977, vol. i, p. 354). The Museum's draw-
ing belongs to a group of late Mannerist images by
Goltzius from the same period, including the newly
identified composition The Apotheosis of Aeneas in the
Uffizi, Florence (Reznicek 1985, fig. i).i. Conversation with the author, February 26, 1985.242 DUTCH SCHOOL • GOLTZIUS