Sparrows - the holy animals of the Goddess of Love

 

Painting of Sir W.B. Richmond: Venus and Anchises. The picture shows the night meeting of Venus and her earthly lover, the Trojan shepherd Anchises. In the bottom right of the picture there are the dead leaves of autumn, but wherever Venus walks she becomes surrounded by spring flowers, apple blossom and the night has turned into day. She is accompanied by lions, flying doves and sparrows. In the roman mythology, sparrows regularly accompanied the Goddess of Love, and sometimes they drew her chariot.

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