The title ‘Venus’ for this painting is not justified by any internal evidence, but only by analogy with similar pictures by Venetian contemporaries; it is possible that the attitude of the nude and the departing soldier, seen from behind to the right, could be intended to recall some quite different story. The picture has been variously attributed to Giorgione, Titian, Palma and Bordone, who all painted pictures of this type, but the current attribution to Cariani is generally accepted. The landscape is particularly typical of his work and can be compared to the Visitation of 1524-8 (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). It is believed to date from fairly late in Cariani’s career, as it is one of his most classical and sculptural works, and displays the influence of Palma Vecchio.