Composition The Dawn of Love (painting)

comus, lines 117–28

the dawn of love illustrates passage comus, 1634 masque john milton. comus morality tale in female protagonist, referred lady , becomes separated family. encounters debauched magician comus captures , imprisons her, , uses means @ disposal try inflame sexual desires. lady resists temptation, , using reason , sense of morals resists comus s efforts draw intemperance or surrender desire.

etty s painting not direct illustration of scene comus. instead, inspired passage in comus, prior meeting lady, muses on notion sin problematic if others become aware of it, , right , natural surrender base desires while under cover of darkness, arguing hath night sleep? night hath better sweets prove, venus wakes, , wakens love . etty s painting shows nude venus, goddess of nocturnal sport , reaching across wake sleeping love stroking wings. while etty had built reputation on renowned ability paint realistic human figures, venus in dawn of love highly stylised, , painted in deliberate pastiche of style of rubens.

the dawn of love intentionally presents moral dilemma viewers. open depiction of nudity , sensuality, etty makes same argument presented comus, rational viewer succumb lustful thoughts while in private. picture presents same moral challenge viewer comus presents lady, of remaining true better, moral , rational, nature, despite there being no apparent disadvantage in surrendering desire.

while etty regularly painted nudity, depicted physical intimacy other in combat, , dawn of love unusual among works; etty s biographer leonard robinson commented in 2007 dawn of love subject untypical of etty 1 finds difficulty in understanding why painted .