Venus Watching Vulcan and Cyclops Forge Armor for Mars
late 17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink over black chalk
Dimensions
9 1/2 x 14 5/16 in. (24.2 x 36.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1950
Accession Number
50.605.48
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 17th century, French artist Raymond de La Fage captured a dramatic moment from classical mythology in *Venus Watching Vulcan and Cyclops Forge Armor for Mars*. This intricate drawing depicts Venus, the goddess of love, observing her husband Vulcan—the blacksmith god—and his Cyclopean helpers as they forge mighty armor for her lover, Mars, the god of war. Drawn from ancient tales like those in Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, the scene blends romance, jealousy, and divine craftsmanship, reflecting Baroque interests in human passions amid godly labors. Executed in pen and brown ink over blac...