Venus and Mars 1604

Curator: Here we have Hans Rottenhammer’s oil on copper piece, Venus and Mars, created in 1604 and housed at the Rijksmuseum. What’s your initial take? Editor: Opulence, definitely. A rosy, almost saccharine sensuality just leaps out at you, from the glistening bodies to the plush fabrics. Curator: It’s easy to read that way, isn't it? Rottenhammer, working in the Mannerist style, sets up this allegory exploring the themes of love, war, and the pacifying power of Venus. This comes at a particularly interesting moment where these figures served highly political roles with specific moral attributes in society. Editor: Tell me more about that. The copper support gives the oil paint such a glossy, enamel-like finish; the color just seems to vibrate on the surface. And I must say the composition feels very... crammed. So many figures vying for space in a rather shallow picture plane, no? Curator: Precisely. Think of the Habsburg court at the time. Rottenhammer lived amongst very lavish people where they had these same issues of who was more important. These were people looking for constant power over one another which also made them insecure with how little space they all thought they occupied. In contrast to his Italian contemporaries, you may also see a North/South dialogue, with a somewhat prudish desire to soften a potentially sinful erotic scene through that very crowding you noted. The embrace of Venus and Mars is there but being mediated on, destabilized by an excessive layering of bodies, colors, and detail. Editor: Ah, yes, I notice now, especially where one of the cupid figures seems to struggle holding Mars. It gives such complexity to the image, I suppose in ways other styles would have simply shown victory without critique. Yet for an artwork meant to discuss power, the execution of paint has such softness. The brushstrokes blend seamlessly into the next; it’s visually appealing but also avoids more serious tones in the content. Curator: An interesting tension, wouldn't you say? That Rottenhammer so deliberately calls forth questions around status but avoids diving too deep beyond that complexity is important in looking at art history. It's almost coyly flirtatious with these powerful themes. Editor: Agreed. It does provoke some new consideration for the themes, though in a very accessible and intriguing visual way.