Jacopo de' BarbariItalian, 1460–1516Mars and Venus
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Mars and Venus” now? Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
The difference between masculine and feminine psychology is marked, in mythology, by the love between Mars, the god of the war, and Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The two gods often appear in Renaissance paintings connected with marriage and destined to decorate bedrooms.
Jacopo de’ Barbari’s engraving follows the conventional representation of the two characters, one dressed in full armor, the other in all the splendor of her naked body. Cupid (from the Latin word cupido, “desire”), the god of erotic love, is represented here as an innocent child in the arms of his mother Venus. The trio forms the perfect image of an ideal family, where the father protects and cares for his beautiful, defenseless wife and for his tender baby.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Details
- Accession number
- P.68.117
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
In the life of Jacopo de' Barbari
The whole life1506–1510
Employed by: Duke Heinrich V, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
1510s–1516
Employed by: Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
January 1511
Illness and a Will
De' Barbari falls ill and makes his will.
March 1511
A Pension for Life
Margaret of Austria grants de' Barbari a pension for life on account of his age and poor health.
