Venus and Adonis, Oil on canvas, 42 x 52 1/2 in. (106. 7 x 133. 4 cm), Paintings, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (Italian, Pieve di Cadore ca. 1485/90? ?1576 Venice), Titian was often inspired by tales from Ovid?s Metamorphoses for the paintings he called poesie, poetry in paint. The goddess Venus has fallen in love with Adonis, a handsome hunter. She foresees that the hunt will be fatal for him, and tries in vain to restrain him from leaving with his hunting dogs