Venus and Mars embracing with a putto to either side 1675 - 1685

Curator: Here we have “Venus and Mars embracing with a putto to either side,” an engraving dating back to the late 17th century, around 1675 to 1685, by Giuseppe Diamantini. What strikes you first? Editor: Raw, unrestrained. It's an intense, almost frantic energy conveyed through all those etched lines. They practically vibrate. Not at all like the idealized, sanitized versions we often see of Venus and Mars. Curator: It's Baroque, all right! Diamantini really embraces the dramatic possibilities of the scene. Notice how the bodies are entwined, the figures almost spilling out of the frame, the putti seemingly frantic in their desire to touch Venus? Editor: Yes! I see that now. And the figures, though classical in subject, possess a certain...earthiness, wouldn't you say? They're very present, almost palpable, very tactile. It evokes something elemental about passion. I'm also struck by that almost imperceptible grid underlying the drawing. What is that about? Curator: I believe the underlying grid suggests it might have been preparatory drawing for another finished painting. He would scale this drawing into a large format and use it as reference. The grid acted as a useful device. Editor: It’s a powerful reminder that even these gods are subject to the raw, untamed currents of desire. Also, if you consider Mars is a god of war, shouldn’t he be armored? Curator: Yes, precisely! We so often associate them with high romance and ideals, yet Diamantini reduces them to these very earthly terms of lovers embracing with lust and fervor. Editor: Exactly. Looking at the symbolic context, though, doesn't this juxtaposition also point towards harmony through discord? Mars and Venus represent opposing forces—war and love—but here they are, entwined. Their union suggesting the possibility of balance, a truce forged in the heat of passion, a balance? Curator: Oh, that’s brilliantly insightful. So much classical symbology here. And putti of course represents the universality of love, desire and carnal knowledge! This little print is just a perfect pocket full of metaphors! Editor: It definitely is. The intensity is memorable, as much so today as when it was crafted hundreds of years ago. Curator: Yes, and the raw, unfiltered energy of this moment caught on paper continues to pulse with that same, vibrant intensity as it did 350 years ago. It continues to breathe with us.