Valerio Belli (c. 1468-1546) Italian, Rome, early 16th century

Overal the condition of the intaglio is excellent. There is some minor wear to the surface and case consistent with age
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There are six recorded bronze plaquettes by Valerio Belli of the present composition. This intaglio, which is signed "VALERIVS VI[centinus] F[ecit]", is a truly extraordinary example of his skills. Given its remarkable quality, it is possible that it is the lost original mentioned by Raspe and Tassie in 1791, formerly in the collection of Philippe Baron de Stosch and mentioned in the recent monograph on Belli. Valerio Belli, born in Vicenza and active in Rome at the papal courts of Clement VII de' Medici (reigned 1523-1534) and Paul III Farnese (reigned 1534-1549), was the foremost engraver of gems and crystals in Italy in the first half of the sixteenth century, and an accomplished goldsmith and medallist. Stylistically, he followed the classicizing vein established by Raphael and his school.

The male figure with a bare breast and a helmet next to his right foot may be Mars or an unidentified young warrior. Opposite him the two goddesses Minerva (shown in full armour) and Venus with her son Cupid represent two antithetical forces, between which Mars has to make his choice: Wisdom and responsibility on one side, lust and pleasure on the other. The goddesses' opposition is expressed by their heads turned into profiles against each other. The fact that Minerva stands closer to Mars and that a snake (symbol of wisdom) glides over his hand and twists around the armrest indicates which goddess will get the better of the other. Mars is shown with his eyes closed, according to the popular iconographical scheme of Hercules at the crossroads, of which this subject is a learned variation. This composition was particularly appealing to Renaissance humanists, as it was repeated on a number of bronze plaquettes (examples in Basel, Historisches Museum; Brescia, Musei Civici; London, British Museum; Milan, Castello Sforzesco; Paris, Cabinet des Médailles; Vicenza, Museo Civico).

RELATED LITERATURE
Valerio Belli Vicentino, 1468 c. – 1546, ed. by H. Burns, M. Collareta and D. Gasparotto, Vicenza, 2000, no. 87, pp. 340 & 503; R. E. Raspe and J. Tassie, A Descriptive catalogue of a general Collection of ancient and modern engraved Gems, Cameos as well as Intaglios... London, 1791, no. 7855; E. Panofsky, Hercules am Scheidewege und andere antike Bildstoffe in der neueren Kunst, Leipzig, 1930, vol. 1, 427