Getty Museum
Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan
Creator
Joachim Anthonisz. WtewaelDutch Artist · 1566–1638
All works by this person →Until the age of eighteen, Wtewael made and engraved glass with his father in his native town of Utrecht. Soon after, he spent two years each in Italy and France, where he cultivated his mature painting style. Upon his return to Utrecht at age twenty-five, he became a member of the saddlemakers' guild, to which painters then belonged. He produced paintings, drawings, engravings, and stained glass
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1604–1608
- Medium
- Oil on copper
- Culture
- Dutch
- Department
- Paintings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
In the *Metamorphoses,* the Roman author Ovid tells the story of how the lovers Venus and Mars were surprised by Venus's husband, Vulcan. Vulcan, a blacksmith, forged an invisible bronze net, which he secretly attached to Mars's bed. Here Vulcan stands upon Mars's armor, discarded at the right, while Cupid and Apollo hover above, drawing back the green canopy to reveal the astonished lovers in an embrace. Other gods and goddesses also gather to witness and mock the adulterous couple. In a scene beyond the bed, Vulcan hammers his net at the forge. Exaggerated poses and brilliant, jewel-like color emphasize the dramatic intensity of the scene. The hard, metallic surface of the copper lends itself to highly finished and detailed pictures. Because of the erotic subject matter, the painting's early owners may have concealed the painting behind a curtain or in a drawer, which preserved its lustrous appearance.
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