Loves Of Mars And Venus – French School Of The 17th Century

Gouache on paper. French school of the 17th century, after Paul Véronèse.
If warrior myths occupy a large place in the legend of Mars, the Modern Era is more interested in his clandestine union with Venus which we see represented in our gouache whose composition is the resumption of a painting by Veronese produced around 1580 (kept at the Condé museum in Chantilly). Against the backdrop of an idyllic landscape, the god of war has laid down his arms to embrace the voluptuous body of Venus. The goddess shakes a weather vane, symbol of her inconstancy, while Love, fruit of her adultery with Mars, suffers the attacks of a small dog, symbol of fidelity. By using gouache, our artist increases the luminosity of his work and thus pays a refined homage to the Venetian colorito which, in the 17th century, experienced a revival in the art of Peter Paul Rubens.

Our delicate representation of the loves of Mars and Venus is highlighted under glass in a carved wooden frame from the Louis XIII period.
dimensions: 18 x 14.5 cm - 24 x 19.5 cm with frame