Allegory with Venus, Mars, Cupid, and Time
Artist
Simon Vouet
(French, 1590-1649, active in Rome and Paris)
Dateca. 1625-27
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsImage: 57 1/2 x 42 1/2 in. (146.1 x 108 cm)
Frame: 67 × 52 1/2 in. (170.2 × 133.4 cm)
Frame: 67 × 52 1/2 in. (170.2 × 133.4 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN360
Simon Vouet's painting is a complex literary allegory in a very sophisticated style. In ancient mythology, Venus was married to the smith Vulcan, but she had an affair with Mars, the god of war. Their lovemaking was exposed to the amusements of the other gods when Vulcan trapped them in a metal net he had made. From this illicit union was born the young Cupid, also known as Eros, Amor or Love. In the painting, the winged figure of Father Time, Chronos, reveals their love to the world in the form of the young Cupid. Meanwhile, Venus and Mars gaze smiling into each other's eyes - they have fallen into love's trap.
On View
On view
