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Ludovisi Ares

Ludovisi Ares is the historiographical name for a 156 cm marble sculpture preserved in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps, in Rome. It is usually dated to the Roman period and considered a copy of a late Greek original, attributed to Scopas or Lysippus. Traditionally identified as the god Ares, this interpretation has been questioned, and the figure may instead be Achilles as part of a sculptural group with a Thetis. The beardless nude youth sits on a trophy of weapons, holding a sword by its scabbard while a Cupid or Eros plays with his right leg. Discovered in 1622, the work was later restored by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and became one of the most admired sculptures of the Grand Tour.

Ludovisi Ares seated in white marble, with a small winged child at his leg and a shield beside him.
The Ludovisi Ares shown seated on a pile of arms, with a small winged child at his side.
© · CC BY 4.0
Ludovisi Ares seated on a pile of weapons with a small winged figure at his feet.
The Ludovisi Ares, shown seated among arms and armor with a small winged figure at his feet.
© · Public domain
Ludovisi Ares seated with a shield beside him and a small winged figure near his leg.
The Ludovisi Ares shown seated with a shield beside him and a small winged figure at his side.
October 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Close-up of the Ludovisi Ares showing a hand gripping the sword hilt in a marble interior.
Detail of the Ludovisi Ares, with the sword hilt held in a close-up marble view.
April 2017 © MumblerJamie · CC BY-SA 2.0
Head and upper torso of the Ludovisi Ares marble statue with curly hair and a solemn expression against a dark background.
Close-up of the Ludovisi Ares, showing the statue’s head and upper torso in marble.
1915 © · No restrictions

Identification

TypeAncient Roman marble sculpture
TitleLudovisi Ares

Historical context

DateAntonine period; a 2nd-century Roman copy of a late 4th-century BCE Greek original
Original Greek modelLost Greek original, attributed to Scopas or Lysippus
Possible interpretation of originalPossibly a Hellenistic reinterpretation of a colossal bronze Ares by Scopas

Creator

Possible attribution in captionThe head may be a work of the circle of Lysippus, c. 330 BC

Materials

MaterialMarble

Physical characteristics

Height156 cm
SizeLife-size

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationTraditionally understood as Ares/Mars at rest and as an object of love, with the Eros suggesting a connection to Aphrodite
SubjectAres (Mars), the Greek/Roman god of war
Alternative group compositionThe statue may originally have belonged to a larger group; possible associated figures include Aphrodite or a second Eros
Alternative identificationPossibly Achilles, if it belonged to a sculptural group with a Thetis of the same period

Appearance

Depicted figureA young, beardless male figure
Associated figureA small Eros at his feet, looking up at him
AttributesHolds a sword in its scabbard; wears a garment wrapped around the hips and over the left forearm; genitals uncovered
PoseSeated on a trophy of arms; left foot resting on a helmet; shield leaning at his right side

Discovery and provenance

Auction and dispersalIn 1901 Prince Boncompagni-Ludovisi auctioned the Ludovisi antiquities; the Italian state bought 96 items, and the rest were dispersed among museums in Europe and the United States
CollectionLudovisi collection at Villa Ludovisi and gardens near Porta Pinciana, Rome
Villa siteBuilt on the site of the villas of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus
FindspotNear San Salvatore in Campo, apparently near Palazzo Santa Croce in Rione Campitelli, Rome; the exact findspot remains unclear
Acquired byCardinal Ludovico Ludovisi (1595–1632), nephew of Pope Gregory XV
Ancient provenanceProbably part of the Temple of Mars founded in 132 BC by Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus, in the southern Campus Martius / Campo Marzio
Discovery circumstancesFound during drainage or sewage excavation
Discovered1622

History and restoration

Restored byYoung Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Restoration workBernini refined/polished the surface, added the right foot, and likely added the sword hilt, right hand, right leg, two fingers of the left hand, and the Cupid figure
Evidence for Cupid restorationThe Cupid is absent from Susini's bronze replica and from early engravings/prints in Maffei's anthology
Bronze replicaA small bronze replica was made by Gian Francesco (G. F.) Susini in the 1630s, during his stay in Rome, and is now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Other reproductionsNatural-size plaster casts were sent to various collections in Europe; engravings were also made and widely circulated, including Francesco Piranesi's 1783 engraving at Villa Ludovisi

Significance

ReceptionThe sculpture caused a sensation and had an exceptional reception, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries
Grand Tour significanceConsidered an essential work for Grand Tour travelers and one of the obligatory sights
Art-historical influenceWidely imitated and influential for generations of Neoclassical and academic art students
Winckelmann assessmentJohann Joachim Winckelmann called it the most beautiful surviving Mars from antiquity
Modern useUsed as the emblem of the Greek athletic club Aris Thessaloniki

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Roman Museum, Palazzo Altemps, Rome
Relocation date1990