Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan
Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan
Artist
Creation date
1827
Materials
oil on canvas
Dimensions
57 1/2 x 44 3/4 in.
Credit line
Roger G. Wolcott Fund
Accession number
80.156
Collection
Currently On View In
Norb & Ruth Schaefer, Sr. and Norb & Carolyn Schaefer Jr. Gallery
Like the renowned painter Ingres, Guillemot was a student of the Neoclassicist Jacques-Louis David and remained his faithful follower. During their era, French academic painters turned to Greek and Roman myths for subject matter.
This picture, which was accepted for the Salon of 1827, illustrates the story of Vulcan, Roman god of metalworking, snaring his adulterous wife with her lover, Mars. Guillemot lavished attention on Venus's sinuous pose and the careful shading of her body, the central focus of his composition.
Provenance Research is on-going at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and information will be added to this record as research is completed. Please contact Annette Schlagenhauff, Assoc. Curator of Research, at aschlagenhauff@imamuseum.org with any questions.
