Joan Huydecoper and Sophia Coymans as Mars and Venus, Rombout Verhulst (attributed to), c. 1655 - c. 1658

Joan Huydecoper and Sophia Coymans as Mars and Venus, Rombout Verhulst (attributed to), c. 1655 - c. 1658

terracotta, h 40.5cm × w 14.5cm × d 21.0cm More details

Venus helps her lover Mars, who has returned from battle, remove his harness. These statuettes were probably a wedding gift for Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen (1625-1704) and Sophia Coymans (1636-1714), who married in 1656. Like his father, Joan served several times as mayor of Amsterdam. ‘Mars and Venus’ is a subtle allusion to ‘Maarsseveen’, the name of the family’s estate, which was added to their surname.