Venus and Mars
- Artist: Sandro Botticelli
- Date: about 1485
- Medium: egg tempera and oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "Venus and Mars" by Sandro Botticelli. Painted around 1485, it's a beautiful example of the artist's use of colour and humour. The scene shows Venus, the goddess of love, gazing into the distance, while Mars, the god of war, lies snoring at her feet.
Note how Mars' muscular body is depicted as limp and lifeless, his head tipped back in sleep. It's a clever contrast to the alert and dignified Venus. The two gods are set against a dreamy landscape, with a sea visible in the distance - a nod to Venus' origins from the sea.
The scene is also filled with playful details, like the satyrs playing with Mars' armour and blowing a conch shell into his ear. One of the wasps buzzing around Mars' head even looks like it's getting ready to sting! It's clear that Botticelli was trying to amuse his client, whoever they were.
This painting was likely commissioned for a wedding celebration, hence its unusual shape and size - it's an aspalliera, or panel set into the wall of a room. The cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome were all the rage in Florence at this time, and Botticelli's painting is a testament to that.
The image also has some interesting connotations. For example, Venus' chastity is emphasized through her clothing, while Mars is depicted as completely unaware of his surroundings - perhaps a reference to the idea that love can conquer even war itself.
See it in person
Venus and Mars hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
