Mars & Venus Reimagined
An Oil Painting Inspired by Ancient Pompeii
I’ve always been drawn to images that have survived time. There’s something almost humbling about looking at a painting that existed nearly two thousand years ago—and still speaks.
Venus in a shell in Pompeii Mars fresco in Pompeii 
Artist during painting process
This piece began with Venus in a Shell, a fresco from the Villa dell'Abbondanza in Pompeii. Preserved in 79 A.D., it carries a quiet elegance that feels untouched by time.
When I started this painting, I didn’t want to copy it. I wanted to respond to it.
Venus remained at the center, but Mars slowly entered the composition. Not as a dramatic figure, but as a presence—a counterpart.
Together, they became less of a mythological scene and more of a balance: strength and softness, tension and calm.
What made this project even more interesting was its destination—a bathroom. It changed everything. The idea of Venus, born from water, placed in a space filled with steam, reflections, and daily rituals… it just made sense. The painting becomes part of that environment, shifting subtly with light and movement.
Working in oil allowed me to slow down and really sit with the image. Layer by layer, it developed—not just visually, but conceptually. It became less about recreating something ancient, and more about continuing it.
That’s what I love most about this piece.
It doesn’t belong to the past.
It just started there.
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