Easily my favorite Velasquez, and my favorite Venus (which is saying something, because there's a lot of that latter category). This work combines several extant themes and motifs in precedent Venus portraits, notably the presence of Cupid, the mirror, the reclining pose, the nudity, and the perfection of physical form. It is interesting though, that Venus here is a brunette instead of a blonde, which is a pretty huge break in tradition.
Included is a picture of the damage done by the insane feminist (redundant?) Mary Richardson. She attacked the portrait with a meat cleaver in protest of a second militant feminist being held in prison for god knows what madness. What a nutcase.
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