Victory of Mars and Bellona

Mars and his partner Bellona, 2 war gods are trampling their defeated enemies.

This well-preserved oil study was most probably executed for a ceiling because of its composition in shortened perspective. We know Jordaens made for his own home (in 1652, in the Hoogstraat in Antwerp) a series of scenes for ceilings, derived from the story of Cupid and Psyche. Also in the same period, Jordaens was working and active in the Dutch Republic, in honour of sovereign and prince of Orange Frederik Hendrik  (eg: Huis ten Bosch, Oranjezaal, "Triumph of Frederik Hendrik")

The colours are quite monochrome and our work is also stylisticly typical for Jordaens' later period (1650-60ies). The composition and rather expressive style of our work  betray the influence of Rubens and some of his oil-sketches.

47 x 65 cm (18 ¹/₂ x 25 ⁵/₈ inches)
Oil on Canvas
17th century