# Venus and Mars with Cupid [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [GERHARD, Hubert]() - Date: 1551-1600 - Technique: Bronze, height 210 cm ## Commentary Augsburg was a long way behind Nuremberg until the Fuggers renewed their patronage of the arts around 1580. Their castle of Kirschheim was ornamented with an altar by Vittoria and especially by the works of Hubert Gerhard. They comprised a mantelpiece, bronze ornaments for the fountain of Mars and Venus, and a dense bronze on a base bordered by fantastic terms \(1590\). Gerhard returns to the composition of Vincenzo de' Rossi's seated couple, emphasizing the sensual play of intertwined limbs, the slow rhythm of knotted curves and expressive passion. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 4 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/17\_cent/gasparini\_cupid.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>Francesco Gasparini: The Meddlesome Cupid, aria</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [Augustus Fountain \(detail\)]() - [St Michael Slaying the Devil]() - [Tarquinius and Lucretia]() - [The Allegory of Bavaria]() - [The Allegory of Bavaria]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()