Of love and war

This Portrait depicts the Roman God of war, Mars, returning from war to his loving wife Venus as he proceeds to disarm himself as he enters her space. This painting perfectly personifies my theme of Mars being respectful towards Venus and disarming himself only when in her presence. This interaction between them varies vastly from any other work depicting Mars as he is often see either in full armor or in battle but only with Venus is he ever disarmed, Thus personifying how love can conquer war.

This piece depicts Mars riding into war on his massive chariot pulled by a slew of large Wolves as cupid angels sound the horns of war upon his arrival This piece perfectly counteracts the previous piece as it depicts Mars in full armor riding into a battle with the full intention of winning. The concept that Mars is hostile to anyone but Venus is also shown her by the look of angry on Mars' face as he rides into the war. As visuals go, the piece has far more vibrant and intense colors as opposed to most of the depictions of Mars with Venus, showcasing how much war affects Mars and how different he is around his love Venus.

In this piece, Mars is seen sitting in full armor with his weapons very close to him as he is accompanied by a small cupid angel. As stated prior with his depictions with Venus, Mars tends to be in full armor unless he is in the presence of Venus. Without Venus, Mars looks to be feeling alone as he sits with his weapons and armor, awaiting the next battle. The Cupid present in the picture may be apart of the portrait to represent the love for Venus Mars has and how he may want to be with her rather than off to war, thus showing a possible change from some of his more violent incarnations.

In the piece presented, Mars can be seen holding a weapon and possible threatening a woman as Pallas Athena intervenes and stops him. This piece shows a very different side to Mars as while he is the God of War, he tends to be portrayed as less violent than his Greek counterpart. But as seen in this rendition of him, he is not without his violent tendencies. The subject matter of the piece shows that when angered, even his fellow Gods aren't safe from his wrath, further emphasizing the power of Venus' love has over Mars.

This painting depicts Mars awakening after what can only be assumed to be a rather eventful night so see Venus sleeping beside him in a large and extravagant bed. This piece vastly contrasts the last by showing the God of War without any armor or weapons but also happy and in a place that greatly contrasts the normal setting he is in. The piece also shows quite a bit of Red colors throughout it, possible referencing the love both Mars and Venus have for one another and how greatly this love affects how Mars is.

This piece depicts the scene in roman mythos were Venus' current husband Vulcan finds out she is in love with Mars as the other laugh at the sight. This scene is incredible important to the character of Mars as this is one of the only pieces that depicts him with Venus in full armor and where he is in a position that does not give him power. The face of Mars tells it all, the anger he feels for being humiliated by Vulcan and by the laughter of his fellow gods. His face also tells us that he is attempting to hold in his anger with Venus present. What Venus is doing also helps to describe why Mars hasn't exploded in rage yet as she comforts him in an attempt to quell his wrath. Some may say she is hiding from humiliation but her face paints the picture of someone who is composed and one who is comforting someone they love.

In this piece, Mars and Venus are together as they watch a small cupid dance near their feet. This portrait helps to portray the power Venus has over Mars as she is shown to be taller than Mars and appears more vibrant and happy. She loves him all the same but this piece shows that she may not know the power she wields over him. Mars, on the other hand, is seen hunched over and thus making him appear shorter than Venus.He also has a look on his face that appears more irritated than happy, though that may be due to the beard covering the lower portion of his face. Whatever the case, his eyes tell us that he is merely tolerating the Cupid due only to Venus' presence.

in the piece shown, Mars and Venus watch happily as a small cupid angel plays with a small dog. As opposed to the irritated nature of Mars in the last piece, he seems more curious and content that before and is just fine with the Cupid being there. This may be a sign that he doesn't care who sees Venus and himself but cares greatly if one lays their hands on venus in any way. Venus once again looks very happy, almost motherly, as the Cupid plays with the pup. She even has her hand on the Cupid's head, like a happy mother would, while he plays. This motherly appearance is enhanced by the child like demeanor of the Cupid.

This piece depicts a very different scene where it appears that Venus is standing angered by Mars in some way, possible due to something Neptune said or did, has the previously mention god sits annoyed. Venus' stance and expression tell us that she is upset by something Mars has said or done and is opposing him, showing the power she wields over him by halting him from continuing what he is doing. Mars' body language appears to be tense as if he was looking to strike Neptune but was halted by his lover Venus. This is the only piece that I know of where the two lovers are on opposing sides of an argument or situation.

This final piece depicts the two loving Gods in what appears to be the later years of their lives. The cupid that has accompanied they throughout almost every portrait they have shared still present, thus meaning their love for one another is still present as well. Venus' face shows a look of passion as she stares into the face of the man she has loved for possible decades, and how that love has not yet faulted and remains with them to this day. Mars appears to be lost in thought and may be recollecting the time him and Venus have been together. He appears in full armor and, for the first time through all of the portraits in this gallery, is allowing Venus to hold his helmet, essentially giving up his war making ways for only her love.