Mars 1591 - 1596

Editor: This drawing, "Mars," was created between 1591 and 1596 by Hendrick Goltzius. It's done with ink and it depicts…well, Mars. He is mostly naked. There is a huge army too! I’m struck by how muscular he is and I wonder how this representation of the God of War aligns with the actual, brutal history of warfare at the time. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is how Goltzius uses the figure of Mars to explore ideas of power and spectacle in the late 16th century. Naked and muscular as he may be, Mars stands less as a figure of brute force, but more as an emblem elevated, literally on a pedestal, by society. Who constructs this idea of warfare and why? Look at the jester figures around him. What commentary do they make about this theatrical vision? Editor: So, you’re saying that the drawing isn’t just about Mars, the individual, but how society views and uses the idea of war? Almost like propaganda? Curator: Exactly. Consider the Mannerist style – the exaggerated poses, the swirling compositions. It's all incredibly staged. What we are seeing isn’t a gritty reality, but a performance carefully designed for a particular audience and perhaps masking a socio-political agenda. What does the Zodiac imagery suggest to you above the Mars sculpture? Editor: Hmm, maybe a sense of time and the stars as related to fate? I never would have noticed that it might not be glorifying war in an explicit sense! That’s… actually kind of disturbing to think about. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: Precisely. The true value of studying art is to understand how intertwined it is with society itself, even if not apparent right away!