Mars and Venus surprised by Vulcan.

Drawing, red chalk, grey wash, underdrawing in black chalk, framing line in brown ink, 22,8 x 35,5 cm, laid paper with watermark (IHS with cross), (apocryphal?) signature at bottom left: "GDL" (few sm. light stains, few spots, few very sm. tears on edges, some tape on verso).

Venus and Mars surrounded by other gods, including Jupiter at left and Pan at right. As described in Ovid's "Metamorphoses", IV, vv. 167-189, Vulcan produced a thin, invisible net of bronze to catch Mars with his unfaithful wife Venus. Once trapped, Vulcan invited the other gods to witness the scene. Original drawing with changes in the process, such as the different heads of the horse at left, and some elements only lightly sketched in the clouds. Attributed to Gerard de Lairesse (ca. 1641-1711), who produced similar compositions in red chalk. See for example the drawings of Mars & Venus and of Minerva in Paris (Louvre, inv. 22720, 22710).