MARS & VENUS: IMAGES OF WAR IN 17TH C. EUROPEAN ART

[Theodore K. Rabb, The Struggle for Stability in Early Modern Europe]

 Pieter Brueghel (the elder) (1525?-1569)

          Peasant Dance, Peasant Wedding  1568
          Massacre of Innocents  1566
            (on invasion of Netherlands by Spanish under Duke of Alva)
          Triumph of Death      1564           
           Magpie on Gallows  1568

Titian    Doge of Venice
            Emperor Charles V on horseback  1548
            Philip II in armor  1550

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640):  Baroque painting (Flemish)
          1.  idealized portraits of rulers (early 17th century)
                             Henry IV, Ferdinand II
                             Duke of Lerma  1603
                             Archduke Ferdinand at Nordlingen
                             Duke of Buckingham
          2.  classical themes of courage, military prowess
                             Life of Decius Mus (Roman hero, 4th C. BC)  1617
          3.  progressive disillusionment with military themes
               expressed in classical allegorical paintings
                             (after diplomatic service 1617-1630 and especially
                              after retirement from politics in 1635)
                     Constantine battle series 1622
                     Peace and War 1630 (for King Charles of Spain
                     Horrors of War 1638
                     Masacre of Innocents
                     Venus, Mars & Cupid
                     Venus, Ceres & Bacchus
          4. late landscapes

Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665):  French Classicism
          Massacre of Innocents  1625
          Rape of the Sabine Women  1636

Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) court painter to Philip IV of Spain
                   Philip III Equestrian
                   Prince Baltasar Carlos 1634
                   Count of Olivares 1633
                   Surrender of Breda 1635
                   The God Mars  1640's

Jacques Callot
            Siege of Breda  1627
            Miseries of War  1633 (etchings)
            Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
            Temptations of St. Anthony 1617 – traditional
                                                  1634 – military devils

************************************************************************************

17th C. Warfare:

Statistics on battlefield casualties:

30 Years War (1618-1648)
    Nordlingen 1634 - 58,000 troops; 20,000 die    1/3

Dutch Wars of Louis XIV
     Ohdenande 1694   160,000 troops; 8,000 die    1/20
     Maldagent 1695    200,000 troops; 30,000 die   1/7

Conclusion: late 17th C. battles are less than 1/2 as murderous
                 as those of 30 Years War: why?

Military Revolution of 17th C.
      response to the slaughter of 30 Years’ War
      rise of professional standing armies (mercenaries)
           uniforms, discipline, drills
      increase in scale of military forces
          16th C Spain Phillip II  army of 40,000 men
          17th C France Louis XIV army of 400,000 men
      assertion of state control over armed forces
          rulers as “commanders in chief”

1625 Hugo Grotius, Law of War and Peace
     code for conduct of war, but “right of war” includes
     acceptance of violence against prisoners, civilians