#vulcandeity

[greekromangods]

Venus, Mars and Cupid in the Smithy of Vulcan

c. 1814

Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844)

Plaster

Thorvaldsens Museum

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A domestic triangle is being played out here. Cupid’s arrows are from both sides being directed at the main figure in the middle of the relief, the goddess of love, Venus. Those coming from the left have been made by her husband, the blacksmith god, Vulcan. They are red hot like the love he feels for her. But Venus is cold and rebuts his approach. This is seen by the fact that she is unconcernedly hardening the points of the arrows by cooling them in a bowl of water. She is more interested in the arrow being pointed at her from the right by the god of war, Mars. For this expresses a love that she reciprocates, something that also emerges from the way in which little Cupid is placed between Venus and Mars. Cupid actually plays the impossible dual role in the drama of being both the creator of the love between Venus and Mars and the result of it — for Venus and Mars are his parents.

Other version: A419

[greekromangods]

Vulcan

1526–1528

Giulio Romano (1499–1546)

Fresco

Museo Civico di Palazzo Te

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[greekromangods]

Vulcan

ca. 1844

Pietro Tenerani (1789–1869)

Marble

Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna

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[greekromangods]

Venus Demanding Arms from Vulcan for Aeneas

1734

Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700–1777)

Oil on canvas

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[greekromangods]

Vulcan

1838

Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844)

Plaster

Thorvaldsens Museum

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Marble version: A8

[greekromangods]

Prometheus Being Chained by Vulcan

1623

Dirck van Baburen (c. 1594/95–1624)

Oil on canvas

Rijksmuseum

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Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. As punishment, Vulcan chained him to a rock, where an eagle pecked out his liver causing him excruciating pain. Here we see Prometheus being chained, his face contorted with fear, while Mercury laughs at him. Van Baburen borrowed the dramatic illumination and the figure’s sunburned hands and faces from his great model Caravaggio.

Image edited by me.

[greekromangods]

Venus, Mars and Cupid in the Smithy of Vulcan

c. 1810

Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844)

Plaster

Thorvaldsens Museum

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A domestic triangle is being played out here. Cupid’s arrows are from both sides being directed at the main figure in the middle of the relief, the goddess of love, Venus. Those coming from the left have been made by her husband, the blacksmith god. They are red hot like the love he feels for her. But Venus is cold and rebuts his approach. This is seen by the fact that she is unconcernedly hardening the points of the arrows by cooling them in a bowl of water. She is more interested in the arrow being pointed at her from the right by the god of war, Mars. For this expresses a love that she reciprocates, something that also emerges from the way in which little Cupid is placed between Venus and Mars. Cupid actually plays the impossible dual role in the drama of being both the creator of the love between Venus and Mars and the result of it — for Venus and Mars are his parents.

[greekromangods]

Vulcan and Cupid

1822

Luigi Catani (1762–1840)

Grisaille

Firenze

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