Venus at the Forge of Vulcan

Central to the mythological views of metalworking is the visit of Venus to Vulcan’s forge. Vulcan was the mythological God of Fire and the original blacksmith; manufacturer of arms, iron, jewelry, and armor for various gods and heroes. Here, Venus visits to persuade Vulcan to produce weapons for her lover, Mars. In these scenes, we often find Cupid accompanying Venus. Venus was Vulcan’s wife but by Cupid’s arrow succumbed to infidelity with Mars. This was later discovered by Vulcan, who caught them in the act by means of a magical snare that he forged.

This myth popular with Flemish painters of the 16th and 17h century and was often featured in the work of Jan Beughel the Elder. Here it is explored by Brueghel the Younger, accompanied by Balen; two master painters of their era. Here we see a picture within a picture, with the stylistic touches of each artist apparent to the viewer. The Italianate ruins in the distance and the assorted armor on display is distinctly Brueghel, whereas the figures are more aligned with Balen’s style. The armor and associated metalwork are painted in fine detail, and were repeated time and again in both artist’s treatment of this Allegory of Fire.