The School of Love by Correggio
Correggio. The School of Love. (About 1525) Mercury instructs the young Cupid, who is carefully watched by his mother Venus, unusually shown with wings. The painting includes fantastic details, such as the knotted animal paws in the sandal on Mercury’s right foot.
All three Gods are nude and placed in a small clearing in a forest. Because Cupid seems intently focused on the lesson that Mercury is presenting to him on a page, and because Venus has the gentle, supportive smile of a mother, a sentiment of family and togetherness is established in the scene, which erases any potential atmosphere of eroticism. The painting’s soft contours, and the silky appearance of the hair reflects Da Vinci’s impact and influence on Correggio; however, the natural illumination causing the unique three-dimensional effect is typically Correggio’s signature, and a genuine display of his renowned artistic talent.
