Venus and Her Satellites

Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, dominates the center of the canvas while surrounded by her assistant satellites. A male figure sleeps soundly in the left corner of the work. This is Mars, the god of war, who has been symbolically stripped off his battle armor in a reference to the power of love and beauty over all things. Criticized for its erotic character, William Etty exhibited this controversial painting at the Royal Academy in 1835.