DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31769#0029
taken as an allusion to the Vespucci family. Vespa is
Italian for “wasp,” and for this reason the Vespucci
family did indeed have a number of these insects on
their coat of arms (see p. 26). The Vespucci (for exam-
ple, Amerigo Vespucci who gave his name to the Ameri-
can continents) were a prominent, wealthy family with
close political connections to the Medici. So far it has
not been possible to link this painting with a specific
wedding in this vast family, but the horizontal format of
the painting, which is so reminiscent of paintings on
wedding chests, has long made it seem likely that this
painting was created for a wedding. And this likelihood
is further supported by the inclusion of a myrtle twig
in the background, since the myrtle was not only one
of the attributes of Venus but was also a symbol of
marriage.
het none of this explains the remarkable pose of
the figure of Mars. The god of war could hardly be
27
Italian for “wasp,” and for this reason the Vespucci
family did indeed have a number of these insects on
their coat of arms (see p. 26). The Vespucci (for exam-
ple, Amerigo Vespucci who gave his name to the Ameri-
can continents) were a prominent, wealthy family with
close political connections to the Medici. So far it has
not been possible to link this painting with a specific
wedding in this vast family, but the horizontal format of
the painting, which is so reminiscent of paintings on
wedding chests, has long made it seem likely that this
painting was created for a wedding. And this likelihood
is further supported by the inclusion of a myrtle twig
in the background, since the myrtle was not only one
of the attributes of Venus but was also a symbol of
marriage.
het none of this explains the remarkable pose of
the figure of Mars. The god of war could hardly be
27