Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Venus and Mars Embracing as Vulcan Works at His Forge

Enea Vico Italian
1543
Not on view
The beautiful Venus was oddly matched to the lame blacksmith Vulcan (the Greek Hephaistos), a virtuosic metalworker who forged Cupid's potent arrows as well as the elaborate armor of the gods and heroes. When the smith learned of his wife's long-running love affair with Mars (the Greek Ares), he retaliated by fashioning a net of iron so fine that it could not be seen and laying it over a bed to trap the lovers in an embrace. This print seems to depict Vulcan crafting the invisible links, while Venus and Mars continue, oblivious to his presence.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Venus and Mars Embracing as Vulcan Works at His Forge
  • Artist: Enea Vico (Italian, Parma 1523–1567 Ferrara)
  • Artist: After Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola) (Italian, Parma 1503–1540 Casalmaggiore)
  • Published in: Rome
  • Date: 1543
  • Medium: Engraving
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 9 1/16 x 12 7/8 in. (23 x 32.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
  • Object Number: 49.97.351
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Designs for Ornamental Military Trophies (recto and verso), Enea Vico (?) Italian, Pen and brown ink (recto and verso)
Designs for Ornamental Military Trophies (recto and verso)
Former Attribution Formerly attributed to Enea Vico
ca. 1540–70
Capital decorated with Acanthus Leaves from the Church of Sant' Agnese fuori le mura, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae", Agostino Veneziano (Agostino dei Musi) Italian, Engraving
Capital decorated with Acanthus Leaves from the Church of Sant' Agnese fuori le mura, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae"
Attributed to Agostino Veneziano (Agostino dei Musi)
ca. 1514–36
Scrapbook of Drawings and Prints, Gideon Saint British, Pen and ink, engraving and etching
Scrapbook of Drawings and Prints
Gideon Saint
ca. 1760
The Academy of Baccio Bandinelli, Enea Vico Italian, Engraving; first state of two
The Academy of Baccio Bandinelli
Enea Vico
After Baccio Bandinelli
Publisher Pietro Paolo Palumbo
ca. 1544
Meditationes, Johannes de Turrecremata Spanish, Printed book with woodcut illustrations
Meditationes
Author Written by Johannes de Turrecremata
Publisher Ulrich Han
Publisher Simoné de Luca
October 17, 1473

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.