Peace & War

In 1629, Rubens painted Peace and War to encourage the King to prevent war amongst the European nations.

In this work, Rubens draws on ancient Greek and Roman mythological subjects and symbols to convey the beauty that peace can bring to Europe and mankind.

Peace is the focus of this work and is represented in the person of Ceres, goddess of the earth. She is shown squirting milk from her breast into the mouth of Plutus, the god of wealth, who is depicted as a child.

Behind Peace and Wealth is the goddess of wisdom, Minerva. She is presented as a soldier holding up a large shield to ward off Mars, the god of War and Alecto, the fury of war. Minerva protects the humbling scene from potential destruction that looks to break the harmony created. Behind Mars is a woman who represents one of the avenging furies associated with war.

To the bottom right of the image Rubens paints children as symbols of the future of mankind, as they are the ones who will benefit the most from peace.

Upon completion of Peace and War, Rubens presented it Charles I of England and it helped in the creation of a peace treaty between London and Madrid.