Minerva Protects Pax from Mars (‘Peace and War’) (4) 1998

Editor: So, this is Leon Kossoff’s ‘Minerva Protects Pax from Mars,’ a print from the Tate. It feels chaotic, a jumble of figures. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: Well, the chaos you perceive reflects a tension between public ideals and lived experience. Kossoff, working in post-war London, engages with classical mythology, but his rough, immediate style undermines any sense of triumphant heroism. Editor: How so? Curator: He’s questioning the very notion of grand narratives. The print becomes a space to negotiate how cultural myths like Pax and Minerva function, or perhaps *don’t* function, amidst the rubble of modern life. Editor: That makes a lot of sense, especially thinking about the time it was made. I see it differently now. Curator: Exactly. By understanding the socio-political context, we realize that art is a product and reflection of historical forces.