Venus at the Forge of Vulcan, Hendrick van Balen, Jan Brueghel de Jonge
Central to the mythological views of metalworking is the visit of Venus to Vulcan’s forge. Vulcan was the mythological God of Fire and the original blacksmith; manufacturer of arms, iron, jewelry, and armor for various gods and heroes. Here, Venus visits to persuade Vulcan to produce weapons for her lover, Mars. In these scenes, we often find Cupid accompanying Venus. Venus was Vulcan’s wife but by Cupid’s arrow succumbed to infidelity with Mars. This was later discovered by Vulcan, who caught them in the act by means of a magical snare that he forged.
This myth popular with Flemish painters of the 16th and 17h century and was often featured in the work of Jan Beughel the Elder. Here it is explored by Brueghel the Younger, accompanied by Balen; two master painters of their era. Here we see a picture within a picture, with the stylistic touches of each artist apparent to the viewer. The Italianate ruins in the distance and the assorted armor on display is distinctly Brueghel, whereas the figures are more aligned with Balen’s style. The armor and associated metalwork are painted in fine detail, and were repeated time and again in both artist’s treatment of this Allegory of Fire.
                                
Discover more Old Masters in the following collections:
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The mill at Wijk bij Duurstede, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon
Queen Elizabeth of Bourbon Flower arrangement, Jan Davidsz. de Heem
Flower arrangement, Jan Davidsz. de Heem A Amsterdam street scene - Adrianus Eversen
A Amsterdam street scene - Adrianus Eversen The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius
The goldfinch, Carel Fabritius Vincent van Gogh. Flower beds in Holland
Vincent van Gogh. Flower beds in Holland Jacob Maris - Fishing boat
Jacob Maris - Fishing boat The School of Athens, Raphael
The School of Athens, Raphael Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh
Almond blossom painting by Vincent van Gogh The Mirror, Robert Reid
The Mirror, Robert Reid Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633
Portrait of a woman, anonymous - 1633 The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting
The Milkmaid - Vermeer painting Agapanthus, Claude Monet
Agapanthus, Claude Monet Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard
Vincent van Gogh. Olive orchard Cypresses
Cypresses The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet
The Artist’s Garden in Giverny, Claude Monet The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai
The great wave of Kanagawa, Hokusai Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd
Italian landscape with pine trees, Hendrik Voogd Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)
Bouquet of flowers on white background (seen at VT Wonen)