"Painting is the depiction of spiritual concepts, albeit embodied in earthly figures," Poussin maintained. This small bacchanalia, endowed with a rare lyrical charm, reflects the conception of two Aphrodites that derives from Plato's Feast. According to the ancient philosopher, Aphrodite Pandemos was public, earthly love, while Aphrodite Urania was heavenly, the embodiment of the divine Eros. In his work the artist depicted Venus Pandemos, the goddess of earthly love, whose invariable attribute is a goat. Venus is about to sit upon the goat and set off on her heavenly journey (she is being helped by the faun and a cupid who is ready to lead the goat by a garland of flowers that may symbolize the link between Venus and the unreal world). At this moment Venus's eye is caught by a little satyr accompanying her and the putto that has attacked him. She wears a melancholy look: heavenly love, in the shape of the putto, triumphs and is crowned with a laurel wreath, while earthly love, embodied by Venus Pandemos, is cast down.
The painting entered the Hermitage as part of the Crozat collection acquired by Catherine II in 1772.