Respect
Artist: Paolo Veronese (Italian, 1528 - 1588)
Original Dimensions: 73 1/4" x 76 1/2"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1575) "This is one of a series of four paintings by Veronese that concern the trials and rewards of love, although their precise meanings remain unclear. The compositions are designed to be seen from below, so we know the pictures were intended for a series of ceilings. Cupid drags a man in military costume by his phallic sword hilt towards a naked woman sleeping on a bed. Cupid’s golden arrow points rather crudely to the woman’s genitals, which are concealed by the red cloth over her leg. However, the man’s companion pulls him away by his arm. The man’s contorted pose suggests his dilemma – he is being pulled in two different directions at the same time. The title ‘Respect’ is not original and was only given to the painting in 1727, but it may be that the man decides to resist temptation out of respect for the woman because she is asleep." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

Panel content
Panel content