Bought not later than 1869 by Alexander Barker in Florence. Exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1871.
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was a leading painter during the Italian Renaissance and deeply cherished by the powerful Medici family (Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany). His first apprenticeship was with a goldsmith, after which he was studying and training under the famous artist Fra Filippo Lippi to develop his elegant art style known for its flowing lines, graceful human figures, and poetic beauty.
Further influences by Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Andrea del Verrocchio enabled Botticelli to establish his own workshop by 1470. Sandro later received an invite from Rome for painting the famous Sistine Chapel with his frescoes. The political and religious turmoils in the late 15th century in Florence, particularly because of Savonarola, shaped his works into more serious and spiritual compositions. Although he was highly spoken of during his lifetime, Sandro Botticelli passed away in 1510 after being poverty-stricken and neglected during his last years.
Venus and Mars, painted in 1483, is one of Sandro Botticellis’s most charming, engaging mythological paintings, that excellently balances playfulness, beauty, humour and ties it all up with thoughtful symbolism. Botticelli showcases Venus, also known as the Goddess of Love, laying awake and serene and Mars, the God of War, lying aside her deep in sleep. If one observes carefully, we see an army of roguish satyrs stealing Mars’ armour and blowing a conch shell in his ear. They dilly-dally and play around him while making sure not to awaken him. This light-hearted scene conveys the idea that love can overpower the violence and aggression of beings.
I really enjoyed the way Botticelli combined elegance with mild comedy. Venus is calm and in control of herself whereas the warrior Mars is looking helpless in sleep. This work was made as a spalliera, that is a decoration panel for a domestic interior space or in a marriage setting. Botticelli has carefully incorporated symbols inspired by the humanist ideas and classic mythology of Renaissance, for example, the myrtle bush that is a representation of marriage, and possibly represents the Vespucci family. The graceful, refined composition and symbolism, Venus and Mars is a beautiful demonstration of how a mythological abstract can be translated into something deeply meaningful and intelligent.
Sandro Botticelli was rediscovered and then gained his rightful fame over centuries.
It is highlighted by Sandro Botticelli that love conquers war as Mars lies unarmed and powerless in front of the calm and serene Venus. What is more important in this painting is the dichotomy of the dressed woman and the undressed, vulnerable man. This portrayal of Venus has stark difference from the illustration of Venus in Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" where she was naked unlike her chaste womanly nature here. Her blonde hair, red lips showcase her as a Florentina beauty rather than a classical sculpture. The Roman writer, Lucian's description of Alexander's marriage to Roxana portray a similar picture of cupids playing with his armours and here it seems like Botticelli might have studied that and used that concept as a reference here by replacing the cupids with satyrs stealing his cuirass(body armour). Spalliere like this was a common tradition during the decoration of semi public places namely the bed chambers of newlywed couples of the contemporary society to hint at the chastity of the bride and signal the bride to participate in sexual intercourse to produce a male heir.
