WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

- CHARLOTTE HODGMAN

Venus, Mars and Cupid

by Peter Paul Rubens, c1635

In the mid-1630s, when this painting is believed to have been created, the Eighty Years' War [a conflict for independence fought between the 17 provinces of the Netherlands and Spain, the empire that ruled them] was close to entering its final decade. Deeply embroiled in the politics of the conflict was Flemish artist, diplomat and statesman Peter Paul Rubens, who was instrumental in negotiating peace between England and Spain. A passionate advocate for peace, it's perhaps unsurprising that Rubens's diplomatic struggles often spilled over into his artwork.

"As well as a talented artist, Rubens was also an incredibly well-educated man who could speak six languages and who travelled to many European courts, including England and Spain," says Dr Amy Orrock, co-curator of the current Rubens & Women exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery. "This painting, which depicts the Roman goddess of love, Venus, with her lover, Mars, god of war, and their child, Cupid, was painted towards the end of his career and demonstrates many of the qualities for which Rubens is so famous, including his portrayals of women."