The Awakening of Adonis, 1900

Private Collection

The story of Adonis and Venus is told by Ovid in The Metamorphoses. Ovid tells us that one day while Cupid was leaning to kiss his mother, one of his arrows scratched her. She saw Adonis, who was supposed to be the loveliest man on Earth, and fell deeply in love. Venus (also known as Aphrodite) went walking about the Earth with Adonis and warned him not to get too close to the wild animals because they would kill him. After a while, they grew tired and laid down beneath a tree in the soft grass. After telling him the story of Atlanta, she kissed him before flying off. Because Adonis was somewhat prideful, he decided to go hunting anyway and was killed by a wild boar. Venus heard his cries, but it was too late. She created a red flower named anemone to come back every year in memory of her love.