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On the left, a woman symbolising Europe throws her arms up in distress at the prospect of war. On the right, the realities of war are laid bare: the monsters of Plague and Famine breathe fire over a cowering mass of bodies personifying the joys of peacetime – Harmony, Fecundity, Maternity and Charity. Despite the artist’s convincing illustration of the horrors of war, contemporary viewers would have known that war is in Mars’ nature, and that even the tempting persuasions of his lover, Venus, will not be enough to stop him.
Title
An Allegory showing the Effects of War ('The Horrors of War')
Date
after 1638
Medium
Oil on paper stuck down on canvas
Measurements
H 47.6 x W 76.2 cm
Accession number
NG279
Acquisition method
Bought, 1856
Work type
Painting
