“Mars and Venus United by Love” by Paolo Veronese is done in the Renaissance style of painting. This is done in this style, because Poalo Veroneses was a Renaissance painter as well as his teacher Titan.
The painting takes place in Rome in the Mythological Era. It is not known who commissioned this work. Emperor Rudolf II in Prague owned this piece of artwork as well as four others of Veronese’s paintings.
Mars is the God of war; and Venus is the Goddess of love.These are the Roman names for the Greek Gods; which in Greek Venus was called Aphrodite and Mars was actually called Aries. The theme of this painting has to do with Roman mythology. Cupid is tying Mars and Venus together. There are many different explanations that people have came up with to explain this painting. There is always that tie between love and war, even the saying “make love not war”. The most common translation would be [Venus, the woman symbolizes chastity transformed by love into charity and that the horse held back by an armed cupid is an emblem of passion restrained]Metropolitan Museum of Art, pg.185
The painting clearly shows Mars and Venus being tied together by a cupid. So I can see why this is the most popular translation of this painting. My personal response was really strong after seeing the painting for the first time. As soon as I saw this painting I knew that it had a deeper meaning to it; and not just some people being tied together by a cupid. I knew right away that it had to do with Roman mythology just from the names. After looking at this painting for a while there is still something that the artist is trying to portray, that is really tough. It feels like there is more going on than what seems.
The painting has such a calm tone to it but it gives a little hint of roughness with the sword and the horse, which I think, helps to balance this painting. There is sort of sneakiness to this painting being that it is sort of hidden behind this wall, and that the column of the centaur seems to be looking down at them with a grin on his face.
There is one question that I still haven’t figured out, and would like to know. That is what is going on behind the actual painting, During that time in mythology? What was going on to cause this unification of Mars and Venus?
