Venus’ beauty and fascination have conquered the proud god of war, Mars. While he lies deep in sleep, infant satyrs ridicule him and steal his helmet and lance. The references to contemporary and ancient literary sources are subtle and not readily disentangled. Venus was sitting upright, calm, composed and dignified, perhaps waiting for Mars to wake up. Botticelli’s interpretation of the themes very free and shows a classicizing nostalgia in the studied position of the goddess. In his portrayal of Mars, however, the artist has departed from tradition: the warrior god has been transformed into a lean–limbed adolescent with feminine features, fell into a deep sleep.

1. Venus and Mars
c1485 by Sandro Botticelli
First created Jul 2010. Version 1.0 - 5 June 2021. Daperro. London.

2. Venus and Mars
The painting depicted Venus (the goddess of love) and Mars (the god of war), after
their encounter. Both Venus and Mars were very young perhaps in their late teens
or early twenties. Mars was moved by the grace and the beauty of Venus.

3. Venus and Mars, the painting
The painting was probably
commissioned by the Vespucci family
of Florence, as suggested by the a
hive of wasps painted on the upper
right corner of the painting.
Simonetta Vespucci painted by Botticelli 1480-85.
When Botticelli died, he was buried at her foot, as
Botticelli wished.

4. Baby Satyrs
There were four baby satyrs playing with Mars’
armours and lance. One was blowing a conch
shell in his ear in an effort to wake him up. This
is the only Botticelli’s mythological paintings, that
is outside of Italy.

5. Youthful Venus

6. Venus had an affair with Mars. In the painting,
she was fully dressed with her hair well set.
She was alert with her dress fell softly in folds,
espouses her body. As Ficino put it “Venus
seems to master and pacify Mars but Mars
never masters Venus.”
Did you noticed that Botticelli painted a one-
legged Venus?
Venus is the personalisation of love

7. Baby satyrs playing with the lance and helmet.
Baby Satyr with Helmet

8. Baby Satyr with horns

9. Baby satyrs blowing a conch shell.
Baby Satyr Blowing a Shell

10. On the hand, Mars was naked and fell into a
deep sleep, unaware of all the noises and the
baby satyrs playing around him. An
unimpressive Mars contrasted with a spirited
and pensive Venus.
Mars is the personalisation of war

11. Baby satyrs making noise with a conch shell.
Baby Satyr with Conch Shell

12. Baby Satyr

13. This Venus is quite different from Venus in The Birth of Venus and in Primavera.
She is pensive and elegance.
Venus

14. Venus’ Dress
Detail of Venus’ dress..

15. Detail Venus’ Hand

16. Detail Venus’ Foot

17. The painting carried a message of “the power of Love over War”. It was an advice
given a newly wedded couple.
Love over war

18. One give away on the purpose of the painting, was its elongated format, which suggested
the painting was probably mounted on a dowry chest, called a Cassoni.
Cassoni

19. Madonna of the Magnificent
Madonna of the Pomegranate
‘Venus at Birth’ Virgin Mary in
another form or homage to a
Florentine beauty?
Venus vis Mary
Venus was held in high regard by the Greeks and Roman. With the triumph of Christianity,
she fell from grace. By the 14C, the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti began to see statue of Venus,
as work of “great perfection”. This was the beginning of the rehabilitation of Venus.
In the ancient world Venus was worshipped as a god and the cult of Venus was widespread.
During the Middle Ages, the traditional symbols, like her roses were passed to the Virgin
Mary, whose role was utterly opposed. This is also true of her symbol, the shell.
The changing meaning of the symbols suggests the need of a dominant mythical female
figures in religion (another example of this is the role of Pacha Mama and Madonna in
South America), normally associated with fertility. In his paintings, Botticelli blurred the
boundary even more with similar looking Venus and Madonna.

20. Music ‘Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet’, composed by Nino Rota from the film ‘Romeo
and Juliet’ directed by Federico Fellini.
The End
Venus and Mars as displayed in the National Gallery London.

21. Italian Painters