Mars and Venus
1596
Imagine the god of war, usually all armor and aggression, getting a soft embrace from the goddess of love—that's the scene Bartholomaeus Spranger sketches here. The muscular Mars looks almost surprised as Venus holds him close, while a team of mischievous cherubs pulls back the heavy bed curtains and tugs at their legs. This 1596 drawing is a perfect example of Mannerism, a style obsessed with elegance and complex, twisting poses, likely created as a preparatory study for a larger work for the art-loving Emperor Rudolf II in Prague.
- Technique
- Pen and ink with wash
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