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This picture was made for King Charles I of England and given to him by Rubens, who was acting as an envoy of Philip IV of Spain, in 1630. The two countries had been at war for five years and both sides were keen for a peace deal. The painting is an allegory, the figures representing different virtues and other abstract concepts, and there is a clear moral narrative. Among the key figures, the woman in the centre represents both Pax (Peace) and Ceres, goddess of the earth, and she is sharing her bounty with a group of children in the foreground. These represent future generations, but are also portraits of the children of Sir Balthasar Gerbier, Rubens’s host. Just behind Pax, Minerva, goddess of wisdom, is protecting the group from Mars, god of war.
Title
Minerva protects Pax from Mars ('Peace and War')
Date
1629-30
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 203.5 x W 298 cm
Accession number
NG46
Acquisition method
Presented by the Duke of Sutherland, 1828
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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