Botticelli’s ‘Venus and Mars’ at the National Gallery of London with Dr. Irene Mariani

A sleeping god, three cheeky satyrs, and a bride-like goddess. What is the meaning of this unusual painting, why was it commissioned, and how was it displayed initially?

The cryptic meaning and unusual composition of Botticelli's Venus and Mars, on display at the National Gallery of London, have fascinated generations of art lovers and gallery-goers. Set in an idyllic landscape, it features Venus, goddess of love, a sleeping Mars, the god of war, and three cheeky, playful satyrs. Like other mythological masterpieces painted by Sandro Botticelli in Renaissance Florence, many fascinating questions still surround Venus and Mars: what is the meaning of the painting, where was it originally on view, why was it commissioned, and by who?

Looking at paintings, material culture, and family patronage during the Medici time, this seminar will offer a 360-degree analysis of Botticelli's Venus and Mars. We will start by drawing parallels between the fine details of the painting and Renaissance material culture: this will permit us to identify a wide range of symbols connected to marriage and conjugal love. We will see how Venus and Mars was likely commissioned for a young couple's wedding and consider how the painting would have been displayed in a fifteenth-century domestic setting. Moreover, the wasps hoovering around Mars' head will hint at the patron's identity.

Led by an expert on Florentine Renaissance Art, Dr. Irene Mariani, this interactive seminar will explore the meaning, function, and display of Botticelli's 'Venus and Mars' in the artistic and social context of fifteenth-century Florence. Designed to inform curiosity and future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of one of Botticelli's most intriguing paintings.