“Cupid complaining to Venus” is an oil panel artwork created by Lucas Cranach the Elder around 1525, during the Northern Renaissance movement in Germany. The artwork, which is a mythological painting measuring 81.3 x 56.4 cm, is housed at the National Gallery in London, UK.
The artwork depicts a nude Venus standing gracefully beside a tree adorned with abundant fruit, wearing a lavish headdress and necklace. Venus’s posture is relaxed, her left arm resting on the tree branch, giving her an air of nonchalance. Below her, Cupid, depicted as a cherubic child with wings, looks distressed and is swarmed by bees. He holds a honeycomb in his hand, suggesting that he had tried to fetch honey only to be stung by the bees, which leads to his complaint to Venus. The background of the artwork features a picturesque landscape with lush foliage, distant mountains, a river, and architectural structures, contributing to the mythological and idyllic setting.
