38 JOHN DEARE
British (born Liverpool, active in
London and Rome), 1759-179 8
Venus Reclining on a Sea
Monster with Cupid and a Putto,
1785-178 7
Marble
33.7 cm (^/i in.)
Signed in Greek: IQANNHE
AEAPH EITOIEI
98.SA. 4John Deare was one of the most accomplished and innovative British sculptors working
in the Neoclassical style. He signed this relief ("John Deare made it") in Greek, rather
than in the more usual Latin. A prodigy, he began an apprenticeship in 177 6 with
the sculptor Thomas Carter. In 1780, he became the youngest artist to win the Royal
Academy's gold medal. Deare went to Rome in 1785 on an Academy stipend to study
ancient sculpture. He produced independent works there and achieved great success,
particularly among British tourists making the Grand Tour. His specialty was relief
sculpture, and even Canova is said to have praised his work. Deare's flourishing career
in Rome was cut short by his early death, reportedly from a fever brought on by his
purposefully falling asleep on a cold block of marble, seeking inspiration for his next
work from his dreams.
This relief shows Venus, goddess of love and beauty, reclining on a sea monster
in the form of a goat with a fish tail. Venus entwines her fingers in the beard of the
goat—a variation on the chin-chucking gesture that traditionally represents erotic
intent—and the beast licks her hand in response. Cupid, astride the monster, is about
to shoot an arrow at Venus, and a putto holds a flaming torch at the center of the
scene, adding to the amorous imagery. That the relief represents an allegory of Lust
is suggested by the placement of Venus on the sea goat—from medieval times, Lust
was represented by a woman riding a goat.
The sea goat carries Venus through the frothy waves, carved with the energy and
precision characteristic of Deare's virtuoso relief technique. Deare's reliefs typically
present a great variety in levels of carving, displayed here, for example, by the fully
three-dimensional snout of the sea goat, the body of Venus in half-relief, and the low
relief of the Cupid and putto. In contrast to the cool, polished finish commonly found
on Neoclassical marble sculpture, Deare's works present a heightened sensuality, with
traces of tool and drill marks conveying a sense of the physical labor involved in marble
carving. The refined maniera grace of the figure of Venus was inspired as much by
sixteenth-century Florentine sculpture as it was by antiquity. MC and PF104 EUROPEAN SCULPTURE