National Treasures
Botticelli's 'Venus and Mars'
At the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
10 May - 10 September 2024
Botticelli's 'Venus and Mars'
At the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
10 May - 10 September 2024
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, is the lead partner of the spectacular collections of the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) and Botanic Garden.
From antiquity to the present day, the Fitzwilliam houses a world-renowned collection of over half a million beautiful works of art, masterpiece paintings, and historical artefacts.
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Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and Mars was the highlight of National Treasures: Botticelli in Cambridge, exploring ideas of sex and power, gender and the body through classical mythology and Italian art of the 1400s and 1500s.
The exhibition brought together a selection of Renaissance works from the Fitzwilliam’s collection alongside the Italian artist’s iconic painting of lovers — Venus, the goddess of love and Mars, the god of war.
The arrival of ‘Venus and Mars’ in Cambridge presented a rare opportunity to see the work outside of London. The painting had never previously left its home at the National Gallery, where it’s been a popular and well-loved work since it was bought in 1874.
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Discover the secrets behind Botticelli's iconic painting, 'Venus and Mars'. Join Curator Laura Llewellyn as she offers unique insights into the painting's composition, symbolism, and the historical context surrounding its creation.