Sculpture of Venus and Cupid, with Mars' Armor n.d.

Jean Le Pautre made this drawing of Venus and Cupid with Mars’ armor some time in the 17th century. The image is full of classical references that speak to its place in the cultural world of Baroque France. The choice of subject and style places Le Pautre within a tradition that looked to classical antiquity for artistic inspiration. Interest in classical imagery was not only aesthetic but political. Here, Venus appears triumphant, taking the armor from Mars, the God of War. Such images were popular in France because they resonated with the self-image of the French court. Royal power was often articulated through the visual language of classical mythology. The nakedness of Venus reflects the classical ideal, but it also suggests a world of pleasure, courtly love, and royal patronage. To understand this drawing better, we might look to court records and the designs of royal palaces. Here, art served the needs of power.