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An Allegory showing the Effects of War ('The Horrors of War')

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Mars, the god of war, is presented with a choice. Should he continue his march into war, or should he show mercy and retreat? Figures representing the different qualities of war and peace surround him, encouraging him to follow their example. Alecto, one of the three goddesses of vengeance (known as the Furies), pulls him onwards, while Venus, the goddess of love, attempts to restrain him.

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.

The National Gallery, London

London

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

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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