Venus in the Palace: from King Charles to Empress Eugénie
A decadent treat for the Venus-Jupiter opposition
Not all that long ago, a portrait was unveiled of the newly minted King Charles. No ordinary portrait, mind. A vision of baroque horror, that sent the internet into a frenzy of paranoid speculation about ritual sacrifices, Baphomet, and all manner of dark undertows. Unsurprisingly, amid the discord of hot takes and conspiracy theories, the astrological significance of this unveiling went widely unnoticed.
A more astrologically attuned culture would have taken notice of the fact that the painting—official title: His Majesty King Charles III—was revealed to the world under the auspice of a rare quadruple conjunction between four planets: Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and the Sun.
A conjunction of Jupiter with any one of these celestial bodies would represent a noteworthy—and potentially regal—occasion, but to have all four lined up in a row is truly remarkable and speaks to the archetypal significance of the painting.
Such a conjunction signifies a grand synthesis of all the planetary energies involved:
The core of this alignment is, of course, Jupiter, the archetypal monarch—long associated with wealth, royalty and high society. Jupiter brings a sense of grandeur and ceremony to this conjunction, which is further inflected by Venus—the artistic muse, who infuses the alignment with her natural impulse towards vibrancy and color.
On top of this, Uranus zaps the conjunction with its unmistakable shock factor. These are some bold artistic choices, enough to provoke an audible gasp, and the painting represents a clear break with royal tradition that is commensurate to the rarity of a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction—a cosmic exclamation mark that rolls around once every fourteen years!
We can even discern the presence of Pluto, which modulated this alignment via a trine aspect, in the dark intensity of the piece, as well as the butterfly—ever the symbol of beauty (Venus) and metamorphosis (Pluto)—that's perched on Charles’ shoulder.
The long tradition of royal portraiture is correlated with the Venus-Jupiter cycle, and paintings of royalty (such as the one pictured below) tend to be unveiled when these planets are in aspect to each other.
In line with this, Jonathan Yeo—the acclaimed artist behind His Majesty King Charles III—was born during a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, and was also experiencing the transit of Jupiter in opposition to his natal conjunction throughout the production of the piece!1 A noteworthy convergence of personal, natal and world transits.
What I wish to draw attention to here, is the way that Venus inflects the Jupiter archetype; the way that she beautifies the archetypal monarch. When Venus aligns with Jupiter, the worlds of art and royalty come together. The artist gets the royal treatment (Jupiter→Venus), and in return, the royals get to look good (Venus→Jupiter), or at least intimidating.
A classic figure in this regard is Anthony Van Dyck, the Flemish baroque artist who, following success in Europe, became the leading court painter in 17th century England, while also being something of a trend setter (the Van Dyck style of beard is named after him).
Van Dyck was born in 1599 during a T square of Venus, Jupiter and Saturn,2 and this configuration marked his life and work, most notably through his relationship with King Charles I.
As the principle court painter to the king, Van Dyck produced many portraits of Charles and played a central role in shaping and idealizing the monarch’s image. This was no mean feat for the artist, as Charles was, by all accounts, a short and physically unimposing man.
In order to project the image that Charles’ desired, Van Dyck had to finesse his flaws and shortcomings (Saturn) into something that conveyed a sense of regal majesty and dignified leadership (Jupiter).
He accomplished this through skillful posing and staging techniques, such as depicting the king on horseback, that created an impression of size and dominance. Through his painterly skill (Venus), Van Dyck was able to transmute his Saturnian subject into a vision of Jupiterian grandeur.
Another figure who can tell us about the Venus-Jupiter pairing is Franz Xaver Winterhalter, who was born during an exact sesquisquare of these planets (this is a ‘minor aspect’ but I have found it to be very potent when it’s within one degree). Winterhalter achieved considerable renown for his highly flattering portraits of 19th century royals and aristocrats.
The above portrait of a young Queen Victoria, was produced by Winterhalter on commission by the queen as a surprise gift to her husband Prince Albert. It was presented to him on the occasion of his 24th birthday, which occurred during an exact Venus-Jupiter opposition in 1843.3
Today, she would have just sent him a selfie. How times have changed.
Winterhalter’s best known work—Empress Eugénie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting—is an oil on canvas depiction of Eugénie de Montijo, the Empress of France, surrounded by eight of her court attendants. The painting was first exhibited at the Exposition Universelle, which began in May 1855 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, during an exact trine between Venus and Jupiter.4
This rather sumptuous piece is enriched by a luminous color palette and a luxurious depiction of fabric; it reflects the Venus-Jupiter proclivity for elegance and haute couture, as well as obsequiousness and vanity.
Winterhalter’s flattery of the European aristocracy made him very rich, and an international celebrity to boot, but it didn’t win him many plaudits from his peers in the art world; while his extraordinary skill for portraiture was widely celebrated, his critics viewed his work as overly glamorous, and lacking in the realism and depth that was prized by the art scene of the time.
I enjoy these paintings for what they are, particularly Empress Eugénie, but they strike me as ridiculous at the same time, like a preening peacock. The inflated self regard of the ruling elite has always been ridiculous, but their vanity can sometimes provide opportunities for the goddess to body forth in new ways.
As for the rest of us, we will have to content ourselves with more humble pleasures. And while Venus may enjoy Jupiter’s royal patronage, she is no less present in the simple beauty of autumn leaves, the colorful exuberance of a fireworks display, or the pleasant taste of a morning coffee. The goddess will meet you wherever you are.
Will be rereading several times!
What a wonderful and unique article