Important aspect for conveying narrative

he Metropolitan Museum is a very extraordinary place. It is full of different types of art works from all around the world. The different works are each given their own access codes, and are then placed into something called a gallery. Each gallery has a specific genre of art from a specific time period (or era). The rooms are clean, have a glowing light entering them, and are neatly arranged with pieces of breathtaking art. A work of art that really caught my eye is Mars and Venus United by Love, painted by Paolo Veronese during, the High Italian Renaissance. It uses a mythological subject referencing classical paganism. However, it uses oil painting, which was less common in Italy except in Venice where this was made. Veronese’s Mars and Venus United by Love painting is a great example of the High Italian Renaissance in Venice because it includes classic qualities of this era, such as the use of allegories, daring colors, oil painting, lighting, shadows, compositions, mediums, and lines.

This painting was placed in the middle of gallery 607. The Met Accession Number was 10.189. It did not catch my eye right away because it was in a room where every painting was about the same size and hung at the same level. But as I carefully browsed through all of the paintings, this one brought me to a standstill. I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colors and soft textures used on Venus’s body. The Greek characters (Cupid, Venus, and Mars) made the work even more fun and attractive. The size in itself was still impressive. It hung at about four feet tall. Other pieces of art surrounded this one, like Titian’s, Venus and the Lute Player. However, Veronese’s painting still has me in the most awe.

The subject of the Mars and Venus United by Love piece is mythological. Veronese depicts the mythological story of Cupid binding Mars (the god of war) to Venus using a love knot. The point of the picture is to show the comforting feeling that comes from love. Some signs of this are the soothing milk that is coming out of Venus’s breast and the way Mars bends his head towards her chest. Also, the horse is kept from coming close to the couple, allowing for an intimate moment between them.

The figures’ positions are another important aspect for conveying the narrative and allegorical message. Venus stands holding one breast, while the other is on Mars’s shoulder. He stands leaning in towards her and Cupid sits at their feet. A cherub is in front of the horse in the back-round, holding him back from interfering with the lover’s moment. There is a statue behind them that could too be a historical mythological figure. A minor part of the picture that brings everything together is the scenery. Veronese adds blue skies, flowing clouds, and green trees in the background. This brings a very balanced, natural, and sensual feeling to the painting.

In this painting, Veronese uses rich and mesmerizing colors and textures to create his picture, which is typical of the 1500’s in Venice. Many artists, of the High Renaissance in Venice, used bold and deep colors in their works. The colors used in this case are highly saturated. For example, Mars’s clothing features solid gold covering his suit. This is complimented by a bronze-colored cloak. Venus’s body is painted with a much softer, white and pink color. This makes her seem gentle, sweet, and nurturing. Mars further shows how thoughtful he is by using a blue cloth to modestly cover Venus’s genitals.

Veronese uses a technique called chiaroscuro to depict light and shadow creating the illusion of depth in both Venus’s and Mars’s face and bodies. This is a typical technique that was perfected during the Renaissance. Venus seems to be the object reflecting the most light, which helps her look radiant and beautiful. A lot of shadowing is also used in Mars’s clothing and in the tree behind them. His pinkish colored garment, including very deep folds, and the jewelry placed on Venus’s naked body brings a lot of drama into the scene. A type of density and heaviness is painted to make the picture look more lifelike.

Composition is very important when it comes to bringing a certain point across or desired feeling to the viewer. In his painting Veronese arranges the objects in an asymmetrical or diagonal form. Most of the weight of the picture is on the upper left and lower left sides of the painting, while there is a lighter feeling on the upper and bottom right sides. The painting gets more hectic as it goes in an upper left direction. This creates chaos and makes the picture more interesting to look at. It draws the viewer in more this way, compared to the picture being based on a more symmetrical, precise composition. This almost reminds me of Baroque art because of its asymmetry and entertainment to the viewer. However, it still seems more romantic, rather than being super dramatic. The composition used in Veronese’s creation is unique.

Medium is the material that an artist uses for their work of art. In Veronese’s case the Mars and Venus United by Love piece was using oil on canvas. This made him different from other Italian artists in Florence and Rome, which used tempera or fresco that created a flatter appearance. The oil is much more grand and richer in substance. Since he was a Venetian artist, he used the oil paint to duplicate the same technique that Giorgione and Titian used in their works. Veronese lightly pressed his paint brush onto the canvas to construct a loose, light colored look to his figures. This technique is inconsistent. It shows in some aspects like Cupid’s hair, Cupid’s wings, Venus’s hair, Mars’s hair, and more, but tends to go away when it comes to things like Mars’s cloak. The medium used in Veronese’s painting is a great way to bring uniqueness to his picture.

A painting like this can be used to tell an abstract idea or can just be a tool to keep the art on a leveled scale. In Veronese’s painting the type of line that is used to help organize the composition is atmospheric perspective. It allows the objects to become fuzzy in the back-round to generate a sense of distance. The lines used also suggest gestures or movements that are happening in the picture. For example, Mars’s cloak around his hands appears very heavy. This suggests to us that he is gripping his clothing or lifting it up. Another example is Venus’s hand placed around her breast. This informs us that she is pressing or squeezing on her breast to get the milk out.

I really enjoyed working on this project. I have always loved going to the museum, so to able to do a project on an item in the museum is like a form of entertainment for me. Veronese is a talented and amazing artist. Maybe I will look up more of his pieces and see if it has the same effect on me as Mars and Venus United by Love did.