Venus was born of the sea and brought ashore in a cockleshell. In the Greek writer Lucian (AD c. 120-180) we can read how Jupiter gave the Trojan prince Paris orders to adjudicate between the three goddesses Venus, Juno and Minerva to determine which of them was the most beautiful and to give her a golden apple as a reward. Paris chose Venus as the goddess of beauty. And it looks as though Bernardino Nocchis’ (1741-1812) Venus is very much aware of this as she turns her face towards the viewer.
“Al buon gusto” – to good taste. The engraver Giovanni Folo has had this text added to the motif in the form of intertwining lettering beneath the picture. Mythological figures were often presented with a view to their appealing to people’s rational qualities, being pedagogical, boosting moral standards and acting as models; all that could relate to people’s good taste and contribute to promoting their good qualities. The print is not dated, but it would be typical of its time if it was made about 1800. During the second half of the 18th century, graphic techniques reached the height of their popularity and were conveniently used with a view to propagating the good taste that was typical of the age.
Bernardino Nocchi inv. e dipin. / Giovanni Folo Veneto incise e vende Roma / SCUOTA GLI ALGOSI DEI LA FACE IL DARDO / E IL TUO SU I CUOR FIGLIA DELL' ON DE IMPERO; / MA NON OBLII L'ANIMATOR TUO SGUARDO / LA TERRA E GLI ASTRI E L'UNIVERSO INTERO / Al buon gusto, ed al merito dell' Egreggio Sig.r Giuseppe Alessandrini / Giovanni Folo Offre, e Dedica
