Aphrodite and Mars

A woman in a blue robe is seated on a chair. She is Venus, goddess of love. Behind the chair a man wearing a helmet with a feather embraces her. He is Mars, her husband and the god of war. At left, seemingly unaware of the interaction between husband and wife, a servant kneels to reach into a basket or box. A young nude male figure with wings floats about the couple. He is Eros, the child of Venus and Mars. He looks at his parents while playing with a ring-and-string game.

Aphrodite and Mars

Medium:
Fresco
Dimensions:
126 cm wide, 163.2 cm high
Context:
House of Punished Love, tablinum f, south wall, central section
Date:
1st century CE
Inventory Number:
MANN 9249
Lender:
National Archaeological Museum of Naples
Credit:
Image © Photographic Archive, National Archaeological Museum of Naples