Ares with Eros

Roman copy of a Greek original. The seated figure of Ares, the Roman god of war, can be seen with the child Eros (Cupid) by his feet. The addition of Eros is most likely an addition to the original sculpture by the seventeenth-century restorer, the Baroque-style sculptor Bernini. Eros draws attention to the fact that the god of war, in a moment of repose, is presented as a love object. Rediscovered in 1622, the sculpture was originally part of the temple of Mars, of which few traces remain, for it was recovered near the site of the church of San Salvatore in Campo.

Location of Original: Rome, National Museum Terme 156 Date: Roman second century CE. Original: C4 BCE Provenance: From the Ludovisi Collection Accession: Purchased (from Brucciani) in 1884