Mars, Venus, and Cupid,

1508

According to classical mythology, Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, had an affair with Mars, the god of war. In this seductive scene, Mars has discarded his armor and weapons, while Venus is nudged toward him by Cupid, who bears a flaming torch signifying passionate love. Well known for his reproductive engravings after works by other artists, most notably Raphael and Albrecht Dürer, Raimondi also made original prints that are pictorial amalgams of various sources. Mars’s upper body recalls the Belvedere Torso, a celebrated ancient sculpture, while several of the landscape details are appropriated from one of Dürer’s engravings.