Venus And Adonis By Paolo Veronese

[lynbrown]

In this painting, what is the flag held by Venus and what does it represent?

[Buenchico]

It would appear that it's entirely ornamental, and simply a representation of fashion, with no particular significance:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/venetian/veronese1570svenusadonis.jpg
and
http://aneafiles.webs.com/flagfan.html

[lynbrown]

Amazing, thanks.

[Clanad]

Who am I to argue with Chris? Thing is, one of the links appearing in Chris' response explains "...Fans were popular, from the 1520s and were useful for cooling, protection from sparks and insects. (At Home in Renaissance Italy, p240)."

Seems they had a long and glorious history during the Renaissance;

Where fannes, and flappes of feathers fond,
to flit away the flisking flies,
As taile of mare that hangs on ground,
when heat of summer doth arrise,
The wit of women we might praise,
For finding out so great an ease.

But seeing they are stil in hand,
in house, in field, in church, in street,
In summer, winter, water, land,
in colde, in heate, in drie, in weet,
I judge they are for wives such tooles
As bables are in playes for fooles

( "Pleasant Quippes for Upstart Newfangled Gentlewomen"... Author unknown)

Any attendant decoration was entirely the Lady's choosing... (Not much has changed, no?)

[Mosaic]

She does however look like she's sticking it down his earole in the picture.

[Peter Pedant]

Lughole

actually the flagpole is a bit high.

If you locate the ears in the putto and the lady they are a little below a line extension joining both eyes) pupils

and in the fella the line coincides with her little finger of her left hand.

More like she was sticking the flag in the hole where little Malala was shot
but 500 y too early. Never mind

interesting point

[patrixcia]

names
of cornish painters