Chapter 1 analyzes epiphanic paintings of Venus on several early fifteenth-century objects presented to couples on the occasion of a betrothal, wedding, or birth. By appropriating the colors, compositions, and geometries traditionally reserved for sacred epiphanies, fifteenth-century artists characterized Venus as a potent, liminal force capable of penetrating the Earth’s sphere and charming individuals in transitional moments of the life cycle. The women and men under her power reveal both the attraction and danger of love, while simultaneously paying honor to the social structure of the family.