- Title
- Representations of Peace
- Creator
- Milam, Jennifer
- Relation
- A Cultural History of Peace in the Age of Enlightenment p. 87-104
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781474206945
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Academic
- Resource Type
- book chapter
- Date
- 2020
- Description
- In 1776, when Pompeo Batoni completed his painting War and Peace, Europe was enjoying peaceful times. The first Partition of Poland, agreed to by Catherine II of Russia, Maria Theresa of Austria and Frederick II of Prussia in 1772, restored the balance of power in Central Europe. France and England had not yet become embroiled in the War of American Independence, which broke out later in the year. It was an opportunity for sovereigns and heads of government to represent themselves as enlightened rulers, supporting the arts and bringing prosperity to their countries, rather than pursuing costly warfare. Batoni’s work is a visual allegory of this ideal. Mars, the Roman god of war, is shown in Classical armor, with sword drawn and shield ready, as he is waylaid by Pax, the Roman goddess of peace. Gently touching the hilt of the god’s sword with her left hand, Pax reaches upwards with her right to offer an olive branch to the warrior. His pose of action has the potential to be turned into an embrace, with the scene suggesting visually through the exposed breast of Pax that the pleasures of love will follow if Mars frees his hands by releasing his weapons.
- Subject
- cultural history; early modern history; War of American Independence; enlightened rulers
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1462786
- Identifier
- uon:46557
- Identifier
- ISBN:9781474238571
- Language
- eng
- Hits: 210
- Visitors: 210
- Downloads: 0