1450
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mars and Venus is a 1450 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a circular scene with a town in the center. Around it, two figures stand out: one with a spear and helmet, the other holding a mirror. The outer ring is packed with smaller, twisted human shapes, some holding tools or animals. The lines are sharp and simple, with no shading—just black and white. The town in the middle looks like a small, peaceful village, but the figures around it feel tense. The helmeted figure might be Mars, the god of war, while the mirror-holding figure could be Venus, goddess of love. Look up technique: woodcut to see how this kind of print was made.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
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