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Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileVenus reclines at the center of the composition, flanked by Bacchus, who holds a cluster of grapes, and Ceres, seen from behind holding a cornucopia of fruit. To the left, a winged Cupid looks on while Bacchus raises a glass of wine. The figures are set within a dense, wooded environment, enclosed by a border of Latin verse.
This engraving illustrates the classical aphorism 'Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus' (Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes), a common theme in Renaissance moral philosophy regarding the necessity of food and wine for the survival of love. Hendrick Goltzius used such mythological allegories to explore the relationships between the physical elements and human passions.
Cum Bacchi, et Cereris magnum mihi numine numen, Hi languenti mihi renovant in pectore vires. HG Anno 1595
Translation
When the great power of Bacchus and Ceres [is joined] to my power, These renew the strength in my languishing breast. HG In the year 1595
Terence
The Roman playwright whose phrase 'Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus' provided the conceptual foundation for this allegorical motif in Northern European art.
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
diameter 165 mm
allegory
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.