Mars and Venus Gm-00024401

Abraham Bloemaert (Dutch, 1564–1651) Under a lavish, tasseled canopy, the gods Mars and Venus make love on a bed surrounded by flying putti carrying decorative bunches of fruit. Mars, the god of war, has thrown down his elaborate shield and feathered helmet at the foot of the bed, while a putto plays with his sword. A fifth putto peers around the curtain to observe the adulterers.

Abraham Bloemaert used the body of Venus as the drawing's central feature. As she curves around Mars, her body forms a grand diagonal sweep that flows up through the drawing, leading the viewer's eye up to the top of the canopy. Bloemaert's deft handling of his materials and his technique give the scene immediacy and vigor. By varying the length and the curve of the same strokes of parallel hatching, he indicated both the lighting and the volume of the forms. The white bodycolor heightening adds to the sense of animation.

The high degree of finish suggests to scholars that Bloemaert made this drawing as a model for an engraving that was never completed or as a presentation sheet for a patron.

High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Giclee Prints are printed on 250 gsm Matte Paper with the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within this paper size and includes a small white border. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

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Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.